Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1917-05-09

How Dairyman Made Good
Eleven years ago Bert Smith and
his family moved ON to a farm in
Delaware County, Ohio, which had
been rented, cash rent, for eighteen
years. About thirty acres of the
farm is bottom land and the rest,
one hundred and eighty acres, is up
land. The land had been run to
death Its best yield at the time
Mr. Smith took possession was eight
bushels of wheat and twenty-five
were on the low land. The farm was
Ia good example of what grain and
VINO livestock will make of land. To-
day it is one of the most remarkable
farmsteads of the county. Dairying
made it famous. Mr.. Smith did not
have bank account when he started
on this farm. What he has accom-
plished has been done with cows
fields made fertile, improvements
made permanent and family made in
dependent
The start was made with twenty
western heifers bred to freshen the
first fall. The heifers calved all
right and yielded some milk. But
what surprise they did bring. The
weekly profits by actual figures
amounted to only eleven cents. Not
much outlook for dairy success, es-
pecially when all farm and living ex-
penses must be secured from the
farm itself. The way things were
going caused much anxiety in the
Smith home. The family talked mat
ters over and decided they had the
wrong kind of cows.
Consequently, the next spring ev-
cry COW was sold; such cows were
.,Sorse than none. Better have one
Eood COW that will give large yield
of milk than to care for half dozen
to yield no more.
"A cow and a calf were now pur-
chased. Others were picked up in
the neighborhood as opportunity Of
fered. During the next two years
this plan was followed with success.
Some proved to be very good COWS;
others were very poor. But each cow
had to prove her worth from her milk
record and if that record was below
the standard she was sold to the
butcher.
The Smiths were now getting their
bearings; they saw there was money
in the right kind of cows. Their ex-
perience in buying showed the value
and the merit in good blood. So
they aspired to pure-bred stock:
Shortly two cows were purchased and
the PRICE was $40 each. One gave
birth to twin bull calves. both of
which were sold for $50 apiece.
Grade bull calves were worth next
to nothing. The Smiths now bought
fourteen registered cows. Each was
a high producer and yielded good
profit. Light was appearing at last.
AS the registered stock increased the
grade cows were sold, only the best
being retained. At the present time
the herd consists of one hundred
head, young and old; and all pure
bred and registered.
Not only was it necessary to build
up the dairy heard. but also to i'm
prive the farm. With good cows it
is necessary to have an abundance of |
feed. and the right kind of feed. They |
tried clover, but the early crops were
failures. They grew soy beans, and
partially succeeded with these, but
as they matured late and offered such
a great difficulty in curing, this crop
has been abandoned. They soon de-
cided that a silo was necessary and
one was built. Silage proved a great
help. A limestone field was select
ed for alfalfa. The land was heavily
MANFRED from the cow stable and the
alfalfa grew successfully. They now
get three or four cuttings a year.
yielding around four and one-half
tons per acre. The effect of alfalfa
on the soil in growing corn has been
remarkable. Manure and alfalfa sod