Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-08
POSSIBILITIES OF LIVESTOCK
FARMING IN GEORGIA

toriaI value OF the live stock to SI.7lO.3S.
There is no reason why these results
could not be duplicated on a thousand
Georgia farms. Probably they have if
the owners would take the trouble TO
go over their books and work out the
records on the basis indicated above.
As an example of the possibilities of
Isirying. il will be interesting to OBJ
serve what has been obtained in the
way OF receipts from the dairy herd
within the nine-year period under dis
uSSion. In the college year l9O7-l9OS,
when operations were first begun al
tthens. there were thirteen cows in the
erd Their milk sold for $1.12444.
-hich gave an average yearly return
sr COW Of SS6.49. In 1915-1916 there
we're thirty-four COWS in the herd. prac-
tically all pure-breds of either the Jer-
sey or Holstein breeds. The receipts
for that year were S6,70O.41. which
gave an average gross return per COW
of S191.44. This does not take into
consideration the value of the manure
through the use of which ii has been
possible to build up and materially in
crease the crop-gTowing power of the
soils on the college farm. The milk
mas been sold at retail at an average
Of 40 cents per gallon. The cost OF
feeding the cows has varied anywhere
rom $40 to $50 Some of the larger
and more vigorous animals consume
larger amount of roughage and concen-
trates than /others Exclusive of the
cost of delivering the milk and pro-
viding for every item of expense, the
dairy herd has made a desirable profit
every year. and vet our towns and
cities are grievously undersupplied with
milk and butter, condensed milk often
being used in place of fresh milk, while
butter manufactured in the middle west
is chiefly consumed on the tables OF
urban residents.
Here is a phase of the live stock in
dustry which the above figures show TO
possess great possibilities of develop
ment along profitable and constructive
lines. The very fact that the land on
the farm has been so increased I'm value
through the manure obtained from the
COWS and the great increase in the pro-
ductive capacity of the animals them
selves would have enabled this dairy,
If privately owned. to have been sold
out TO the great advantage of the owner
at the end of a nine-year period. These
COWS have been run on Bermuda grass
pastures in the summer, and fed prl-
marfly on silage mad cotton seed meal
\ simpler method of feeding and ham
ding could not possibly be devised
The dairy industry of the south Of
fers unappreciated opportunities to
thousands OF young men. No doubt
this statement will be met with the
objection that too much capital is re-
auired and that the young man does
not possess the same. Surely, the time
has arrived when bankers and business
men generally should be willing to back
protect of this kind as readily as
some of the wild goose" schemes TO
which they so frequently lend aid. The
writer is Of the opinion that many
Young men are deferred from taking up
dairy enterprises because OF lack OF
vision and because OF the belief that II
is an industry requiring close and con-
slant personal supervision. The latter
mart Of this statement is certainly cor
rect. but the aggressive citizen is look
ing for opportunity or at least TINS Is
the claim he puts forth in varied ana
oIaiutive form. The dairy business has
not been overdone i'm the south as yet
nor will IL be for many years to come.
The chance the ambitious man is seek
ing can certainly be found in this held.
The next proposition in this connec-
ton to which attention should be d.
rected is the fact that the college farm
"A
ton plantation and converted into
dairy and live stock farm has been han
died with success and satisfaction on
this basis for the past nine years. The
receipts from the dairy herd, as already
indicated. have increased in an aston
ishing degree. The receipts from the
sale of live stock has increased from
S7229 i'm 1907-19OS TO S3.O56.O2 in 1875
1917. The sales from cotton, the culti-
walton of which has never been empha-
sized. never recalled in any year during
the period under discussion above
Sl.S31S3. which. of course. included the
sale of cotton seed as well. In 1907
1908. the sale of cotton and cotton seed
brought in S469 81: in 19l5-1S16, at the
phenomenal prices prevailing, S1.O43.9S.
The total sales of the farm increased
from s1,T99.37 in 19O7-l90s to 81 ,0O2.69
in 19I5-I9l6 In 1907-l9OS 62.5 per cent
of the total receipts came from dairy
products. per cent from the sale of
live stock, and 25.5 per cent from the
sale of cotton and cotton seed. In 1916
1915 the dairy provided 6O.9 per cent of
the total receipts, the live stock 27.S
per cent. and the sale of cotton 9.5 per
cent At the prices which prevailed for
cotton i'm 1914-1915 this figure would
have been MUGS lower still.
Thus, IL has been clearly demon
strated that an old cotton plantation
can be converted into a diversified live
stock farm in Georgia in which cotton
cultivation has been greatly minimized
with profit and advantage to the state,
and If il could be done for the state. i'm