South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-28
SOUTH BEND MAN
OFFERS HIS DAIRY
Writes Or. Barnard Regarding
the Importance of
Milk as Food.

/ ing letter from udlTy man. VIM
lives near South Bend. Ind:
South Bend. Ind. Jan. p. 1918.
"R r. 3, Box. G.
'Dr. Harry +. Barnard,
indianapolis. Ind.
Dear Mr.. Barnard: Is there no
relief for the dairyman? Bran
prices are supposed TO be regulated
but our dealers say they have more
on hand except what little they re-
tail about town.
This brings no relief to the
( dairyman. Again. bran in itself is
not sufficient milk producing feed.
II is all right for a base and where
compounded with other feeds. What
We need is cheaper bran. cotton
seed. oil meal, gluten and the var
ious compounds such as perirea,
unicorn. etc. Hay is $50 for tim
othy but that is no hay for COWS.
alfalfa is $35 or more when IL can
be had at ALL Milk is still whole
sailed at % cents per gallon and
4
per pound Under these conditions
feed is costing as much and in some
! instances more than the returns for
milk or butter.
Il know OF at least eight or ten
| dairies in this neighborhOod that are
being offered for sale. but the only
market open for our cattle is the
slaughter house, for the reason that
no one here has sufficient feed 70
carry present stock 10 grass.
Again. I have been u years in
building up my herd, wedding out
poor individuals and using pure
sires % exceptional worth and mer-
! it. operate a butter dairy. All l
raise is fed 70 the cows and my
sole income is from the butter 1
sell. From March l. 1915, to
/ March l. 1917. my cows averaged
1913 pounds butter fat in our Coun-
| ~ Cow Testing association. The
churn record was some better. be-
ing 2.50S pounds from seven cows.
besides the milk and cream for a
family of i've
Il have these same seven COWS
in my herd and four first calf heif-
ers, making II COWS in milk. l al
so have 10 other head, calves and
heifers and my bull. I need not
even refer TO the place the dairy
cows occupy in tho field OF agricul-
] ture, to say nothing about the alb
solute necessity of her product to
the health and development of the
child-life OF our nation.
Il am sure you are thoroughly
infoI med in both OF these subjects.
I believe, too, Doctor. that you are
industry is facing today not only in
Indiana but throughout the entire
United States.
~ believe the situation so serious
enough 70 justify the extending OF
federal aid where needed. AS an
! immediate step l would recommend
the lowering in price Of all concen-
trate feeds entering into the produc-
! ton of milk and a most thorough
and systematic advertising cam
paign. both by press and billboard.
! 10 educate the people TO the food
value Of milk
I u
price for milk and butter relative
to its food value We could produce
! both Of these products with per-
/ haps small margin Of profit. The
! fact is people have substituted oleo-
margarine for butter and have
greatly curtailed their use Of milk.
Were people to stop buying the out
/ put Of the Studebaker corporation,
| that corporation would soon have
to shut down. The same is true Of
the manufacture Of milk and but
ter. when people stop eating these
! foods the plants must shut down.
When this is once done the public
/ will pay for their folly with great
sorrow.
/ "A dairy COW can be slaughtered
! in a few minutes but even with a
| foundation COW with which TO begin
| you cannot produce another COW
short of three years, and if one is
/ TO weed out poor individuals the
/ time may be extended 20 many
years. In the near future our chill
dren can suffer from mal-nutritiOn
and all its accompanying ills.
I For myself, I borrowed money
/ last summer to buy seed and as far
! as possible l was going 20 do my bit
/ toward feeding the allies. eX-
pected TO meet these obligations
with butter sales this winter. These
| obligations are coming due in March
and if the bank viii not extend the
time ] will have TO sell my herd
/ to make payment. This necessi-
\ tates the complete DISCRIMINATION
/ OF my business for / am building
iup worn-out farm. and barnyard
/ manure is absolutely essential to
successful grain farming.
Were l the only one effected by
the present dairy situation 7 could
take my loss and disappointment,
/ but I am not the only one. so am
altruistic in my desire for better
conditions.
IF the government wants 10 Use
my products at the cost Of produc-
ton plus "A reasonable profit / will
gladly supply il with my entire out
put or il it wants 10 take over my
dairy farm. cattle and all. 1 will let
them operate il during the war and
/ will Offer my service 10 il in what
ever capacity I can best serve il.