Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-01-29
Sound Thinking.

For years We have been urging the
dairy farmer to give closer attention to
the kind OF cows he keeps. This In
junction has not found . ready ear OF
an acceptable mind in all instances, for
too many farmers have paid compare
lively little attention TO tho individual
differences in cows and what their
methods were costing to produce milk.
We have tried to show that 1t was not
only important to keep capable dairy
COW but that 1t was of equal Importance
to raise the right kinds of feeds.
In the many hundreds of rations
which we make each year for our readers,
We are constantly reminded that the
kind of feed raised on the majority OF
farms is not the best for milk produc-
ton. Timothy hay, or some hay
equivalent in its feeding value, 10 grown
In too many instances. With this char
actsr of roughsge 1t is necessary for the
farmer to purchase q large amount OF
protein feeds. These are usually high
10 price and when q considerable
amount of such feeds is purchased 1t
cuts deeply into the pockets Of the
dairy farmer. In most instances it pays
to purchase some milli feeds, but the
good dairyman does not depend entirely
upon them. The raising of some legume
hay and providing animals with sue
cuients Will require the use OF less high
protein feed per COW. This does not
necessarily mean that smaller amount
of these feeds will be fed, but it will
permit of the keeping at profit of an
increased number Of COWS.
Ii seems to Us at times that there Is
only a small percentage of men who con-
slider the character OF cows they are
keeping and the Importance OF raising
the kind of roughage which requires the
purchase of but little mill feed. The
dairy farmer who raised bis clover, al
falfs, or soy bean hay last year and grew
corn for his silo, is making reasonable
profit this winter from his cows, but the
man who is forced to purchase q large
amount of feed to supplement corn
stovsr and timothy hay, will make very
little, il any, profit. II is not 80 differ
emit this winter than other years, but
there is something about the high prices
of milk, mill feeds, hay and labor, and
everything that the dairyman buys, that
has caused him to do more sound think
ing as to what the returns are from his
dairy herd than in any former years.
Something like sixteen years ago the
Illinois Experiment Station sent .
representative into the field for the pur-
pose of securing q few farmers who
would be willing to weigh and sample
each cows milk and to keep track in a
rough way Of the amount of feed each
COW consumed in the herd. 1t was
astonishing to find how little interest
there was among the large milk pro-
ducers of the Elgin District. This
representative worked for three months
going from farm to farm explaining the
value of knowing what each cow could
do and the advantages which would
come to the dsiryman who knew some
thing about what 1t cost him to produce
| 100 pounds of milk. At the end Of the
three months not dsirymsn was will
ing to take up this work. There was no
expense for him to bear as the university
paid the salary of this man, furnished
the supplies, tested the milk, and did
all the clerical work connected with the
keeping of records. Ii would not have
taken more than ten or fifteen minutes
DER COW in the whole year for the farmer
to have secured the complete record OF
COW; that is the amount Of milk she
produced, what 1t tested, amount OF fat
II contained, the amount OF feed con-
sumed, and the cost Of producing 100
lbs. of milk. In time few herds were
secured and 1t was shown that the pro-
duction of the COWS in the Elgin Dis
trios ranged all the way from 6S pounds
of fat up to over 400 pounds in one year ;
some herds averaged but 12S pounds per
COW, while other herds averaged over
800 pounds; some herds were kept at an
actual loss, not even paying for the feed
they consumed, while others returned .
good profit.
In the same district now the dairy
farmers are very much exercised over
the prices of milk which they are receiv-
ing but yet there are very few, too few
indeed, who can lay before any body OF
men facts concerning what 1t costs them
10 produce milk. We dare say In the
next ten years after this experience that
there will be many farmers who will see
the importance of knowing what their
herds are returning them and will have .
better understanding OF their sources OF
income. 1t may be little hard to meet
the present situation but We believe that
out of it the dairy farmers will receive
valuable lessons and will be led to do
some real sound thinking.-Hoard's
Dairymsn.