The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-05
We ERMONT RECORD
FOR HOLSTEINS
IN SHAT TSBURY
III. Merle Bottum Probably Leads
All Others
IN CONTINUOUS BREEDING
Foundation Of Herd Laid in 1885 Has
Been Source Of Many
Record Producers

1t is highly probable that the towr
of Salisbury is the home of the farm
er who has continuously raised regis
tered Holstein- Friesian cattle longer
than any other breeder in the state oil
Vermont, Fl. Merle Bottum. This well
known breeder laid the foundation oi
his present herd in 1856 when he
purchased of the Unadilla Valley Stock
Breeders Association the Holstein
Friesian bull Utica, whose four near
est dam had seven day butter rec
ords averaging upwards Of 20 pounds
each. With Utica were purchased foul
heifers carefully selected from bunch
of eighty 2year-old heifers, considered
by many breeders to be the best i'm
portaticn ever made from North Hol
land and Friesland
During the years that have elapsed
since 1885 two hundred and twenty
one male caves have been born on the
place, most OF them being sold foI
breeding purposes. OF the total four
hundred and seventy-live head born
two hundred and fifty four were 70.
males, large percentage of which
were grown up and developed as cows
before their sale. ln-as-much as the
milking herd have averaged only 10 to
II cows per year, these figures demon
strate the prolificacy of the herd.
These sales have been made to some
CT the best known breeders of Hol
stems in the East. In many instances
the sale of a few herd, sometimes a
single animal. led to the establish.
ment of pure bred herd by convinc
ing the purchaser that the breeders as
sertions regarding the superiority OF
"the black and white" as an al
around dairy COW was fully demonstrat
ed by the animal purchased. Among
the successful breeders who establish
ed pure bred herds are John II. Mead
of West Rutland and who won first
money at international shows forty
seven times with his foundation COW
Allie Merdu, purchased in 1893; Ar
thur Wyatt. of Buskirk N Y, Brownel
r. WI cox of Pownal, w. c. Mason OF
Pawlet; Messrs, Guild & Roberts OF
rupert; Mrs. Della l.. Howard of
Jamaica; Lee S. Haven of South Lon
donderry; George Mahaffy of Salem
N. Y. M. w. Tefft of Greenwich, N
Y; Albert McMurray of Gansevoort
N. Y; and 0. P. Black of Rupert.
There is considerable of historical
interest attached to the Bottum stock
farm. Although there are no authentic
records in existence, there is sufficient
evidence to prove that the present
farm residence is located on part OF
the original farm which was taken III
by Elijah Bottum, the great great
grandfather of the present owner. Here
for one hundred and forty years siy
generations have demonstrated the vii
tues of good citizenship, prosperity and
the possession of a home. Nathan II.
Bottum the grandson of the original
owner, built the present commodious
farmhouse in 1S47, two years before
the present occupant was born, and
was succeeded by his sons, Norman
and Nathan, who specialized in Mer-
ino sheep and Shorthorn cattle.
H. Merle Bottum was educated al
Burr and Burton Seminary at Man
chester and Kimball Union Academy
Meriden, N. II. His literary education
was preceded by thorough knowledge
Of farming in all of its details. Beint
an only son, the care of the farm de
volved upon him at the death of his
father in 1870 He proved equal 10 the
task, however, and has added to th'
original farm until it new comprises
about I've hundred acres, with 125
acres under tillage.
All of the cattle on the farm are
descendants of the original four i'm
ported heifers, and every one of them
that has been given an opportunity
has qualified under the rules of the
Holstein-Freisian Association for Ad
vanced Registry Mr.. Bottum has kept
S cadily in view an ideal butter COW
and he has bred persistently to real
ize this ideal He says that the Hol
stein is prominently the poor mans
COW. that the balance of fat and solids
in the lacteal fluid makes her milk
the ideal food prepared by nature for
children and invalids, that she is cap
able CT adapting herself to adverse
conditions better than any other breed
and consuming large variety of
roughage which she transforms into
palatable, nourishing, human food, and
that she stands without peer as a
producer lf calves, milk, butter and
cheese.
The original herd leader Utica, was
followed by his sons Lucelia's Utica
and Utica End from whom descended
Nosnips Beautiful Pearl (20193 ibs.)
and Serbia 4th (17.73 lbs. at II yrs.)
Mr.. Bottum then used to limited ex-
tent Castine's Sir Henry. son of the
great show bull CT his day Sir Henry
of Maplewood, whose son, Lucelia'f
Sir Henry from whom descended
Agnes Korndyke Lucelia (20.45 lbs.)
was for several years at the head of
the herd He was succeeded by his
son. Ada Merdu's Sir Henry who was
an excellent sire, producing two A. r.
n daughters. Lady Withoorn (22.57
lbs. at 13 yrs.) and Beatrice Serida
who produced A. r. o. daughters and
three sons who sired A. R o. daugh-