Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-19
THE FAMOUS GUERNSEY
IN SOUTHs|DE VIRGINIA
Flourish and Produce Better Than
the Same Breed in Northern
and Western States.
MISSION OF soUTHsIDE CLUB
Annual Field Meeting Is Educational.
How Farming Has Been Made to
Pay as Never Beforc-Where Boys
Are Not Quitting.

South. and no agency has done more
or is doing more to prove this than
the Southside Guernsey Club. which
held its annual field meeting on the
farm OF Henry e. Boswell, near
Burkevillc. in Nottoway County a week
or more ago
The membership of the club is COM
posed of farmers OF Nottoway, Prince
Edw ard and Amelia Counties. or more
strictly speaking. OF the portions Of
those counties contiguous to Burke
willie. who own cattle of the famous
Guernsey breed and who keep only the
pure bred COWS. There are now on
the rolls Of the club the names OF
thirty-eight Of such cattle owners and
with the exception Of about five all Of
them live in the counties named. AL
together the members of the club own
200 Guernsey cows. some Of them hav-
irG herds Of forty or more. These men
raise on the so-called worn out" lands
of Nottoway. Amelia and Prince Ed
ward all the feed necessary to main
tain these herds and manufacture"
their own home grown raw material
into cream and butter which they sell
on the Richmond, Petersburg and
Lynchburg markets, principally the two
first named.
THE REAL BUSINESS OF
THE GUERNSEY CLUB
The officers of the club at the pres
ent time are: J. S. Agnew. president;
William Hodges Mann. vice-president;
a G. Ingham, secretary and treasurer.
Quarterly meetings are held for the
transaction OF business and for ex-
changing views and experiences in the
important and profitable business the
members are engaged in. which Is a
comparatively new business for that
region of country.
Once a year. in the month of August,
L..
Annual Field Meeting Is held on the
farm Of some one Of the members
These annual meetings have become
regular Guernsey cattle shows, for not
only Is the herd of the man on whose
place the meeting is held on exhibit
ton that das. but other member; brig
in the finest and handsomest represen-
tatives OF their herds and show them
against the herd OF the host and all
other exhibitors. At the recent field
meeting held at Mr.. Boswells over
hundred magnificent animals were
shown to the admiring crowd. There
are always speakers of more or less
note at these annual meetings to tell
OF the good things coming to old Vir-
EIHia- and there is always a big picnic
dinner or Brunswick stew, or both for
the multitude. 1t is not necessary to
state that the annual field meet has
become one OF the most Interesting
events OF the year In Southside Vir-
ginia. 1t Is becoming moro and more
popular every year and as the meetings
are decidedly educational and helpful
they are doing great good People at
tend them not as Il frolic or for the big
dinner. but to get valuable information
and gain inspiration for the good work
OF making Southsde Virginia tho gar
den spot" section Of the State.
VIRGINIA THE BEST PLACE
FOR THE GUERNSEY
Ono thing that has been demonstrate
Cd by the members Of the Southside
Guernsey Club is that the Guernsey
COW on the fields of Virginia produces
more than the same breed in the North
and the West. Under the rules of the
club every member Is expected to keep
books, to test his cows and be able
to show just what they can do and are
doing. The same rules prevail among
the dairymen and farmers OF the North
and West and SO the figures are easily
ootainable. Records show that two
years ago five Guernseys on one of the
dairy farms OF Southside Virginia pro-
ouccd an average of 1872 pounds of but
Ter rat against an average OF AIS
pounds produced by five animals of
: the same age. size. etc. in A Northern
T. state, and against +iS pounds by five
similar cows in a Western State Two
I, years ago the Southside Virginia dairy
T, man was not we'll up in the business
+; as he now is. and the same mans latest
I record is an average OF 49S pounds OF
= butter fat and in the meantime neither
: his Northern nor Western connection
made quite as good an average as they
d'd two years ago. showing that the
q Southside Virginia territory is improv-
I. Ing with the Guernseys while the
i Northern and Western brethren are
|, railing down mite. Other tests have
( oeen made so the writer is told, that
Z chow W. better than this for the Vir
!. Einia bred and Virginia cared for
( Guernsey but the figures are not at
!. hand.
I, Al, Of thi. goes to show that II anv
Z man wishes TO go into the cattle raising
!. business and the dairy business he
nee not so away from Virginia or the
Z Southside section thereof.
HOW THE PEOPLE HAVE
PROVED MANY THINGS
:. The time was when the people in
= southsioe virginia had idea that
- their lands were worn out could moi
= he made TO grow tn. grass and the
:, grain necessary TO maintain cattle but
= rev wide awake younger farmers
:, mere and there in Nc,toway, Prince Ed
8 ward and Amelia Counties, and other
= counties. too. have shown how thos.
= old worn out" lands could be bro,ph,
I. hay and the grain TO be manufactured
Z riGht On the farm into cream. butter
y beer. mutton, fowls. eggs bacon, etc
: and thus farming made to paw as /,
= never paid before in that part of m,
: old Commonwealth. Men like j. S. AE.
y new, Henry f. Boswell, T. O. Sandy. A
:, g. lngham and dozen others who
= could be named have proved thes,
= things and the youngsters coming or
= are ap' learners. We are not now
81 hearing much OF the boys leaving the
~ farms up in that part Of the State
n on course. the Guernsey is not III,
:. only mixer that fiourishcs in South.
= Side Virginia. but IL would be hard I,
q convince the members Of the club tina
y she can be beaten or even has an equal
= All OF their neighbors do not fully agre,
: with them in the lagt proposition, ans
y aoisteins. Jerseys and some othc
= breeds have their advocates all abou
= In that section. Certain II is that al
< the best pure breeds flourish and ar.
!. very profitable in Southside Virginia