The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-02-20

ok. IA. Murphy, Animal Husbandry
Specialist, Division Of Agricultural
Extension, University of Tennessee.)
One has to take but a short trip in
most any direction within the state
outside Of the dairy districts to learn
that the average farmer, the man with
a farm Of 100 acres or less. and from
one to four cows, is longing for real
family COW He needs more milk for
home use, He doesn't want to so into
dairying Perhaps he would II he had
a market for surplus butterfat, but un.
less thru cooperative efforts cream
route be established by his front door,
he is rarely justified in striving to pro.
duce more than an abundant supply
of milk for the home, the children, the
calves, and bit for the pigs and
chickens.
Well, one might wonder why hasn't
he q satisfactory COW. He has been
farming long time, certainly long
enough 10 have developed a COW suit.
ed to his conditions But let us see
what has happened. Twenty or more
years ago he had 3 or 1 big red cows
whicR fumished his faanily plenty of
milk and each raised q good calf
Composition Of beef cattle from the
western ranges wss at that time 20.
strong that these good calves were Of
httle value. In fact, there came q
time when the calf was considered a
nuisance rather than an asset.
About the same time the Jersey COW
was at the height OF her glory In Ten.
nessse. and no state ever produced
mere good Jerseys or more ardent ad.
rnirers Of them. She was hailed far
and vide as the ideal family COW. She
required very little feed and produced
very rich milk and the calf was OF
small importance, anyway. All OF
which was very true ut that time, and
today the Jersey has no superior as an
economical producer OF good milk and
butter. But It wasn't the COW that did
the damage. She produced calf, and
tho 1t wasn't worth anything. II was
such comedy, farm-like creature that
no one had the heart to dispose Of 1t
and thus did the country far and wide
become populated with Jersey bulls.
Had conditions remained as they
were at that time we might today have
nothing to regret, but twenty years
have marked a wonderful change in
the beef cattle producing area Of our
country In 1900 there were 50 head
of cattle Of all kinds per 100 of human
population. In 1910 the number had
decreased to 81 per 100 and on Jan.
uary l, 1919, to 81 per 100 The mum
Der of cattle other than dairy cows
was 81 per 100 people In 1900. In 1910
this number had decreased TO As pei
100, and on January l, 1919, to AZ per
100. During the same period dairy
cattle have pretty well held their own
with the increase in population, for In
1900 there were % per 100 people; in
1910, %, and on January /, 1919, there
were -,
Let us observe what this decline
has meant In 1909 the beef exports
OF the United States reached a summit
of 49, 10000 pounds, and at that time
there was only trace of imports. A |
down-hlll course followed, and by the
year 1914, the imports exceeded the
exports by 93.0OO,0OO pounds. In that
year our imports were 259O00,000 |
pounds, and our exports less than q.
100000 pounds.
Since that time under the stress OF |
war, and the needs of our Allies for |
food supplies our exports of beef have
been greatly increased; this has been
done, not by increased production, but
at the expense of our own normal
home consumption and of our founda.
tion cattle stocks ms intlmated by the
above ratio OF cattle to population.
This great decrease in our produc-
ton of beef cattle is, of course, at.
tributdble 10 the fact that onr great /
western range area has gradually been
lessened during this period by having
settlers fence OF farm after farm and
place 1t under cultivation. BUT, in the
meantime, these Jersey bulls and their 4
nOndescript male offspring have pretty
well succeeded in destroying all of the
natural beef-producing ability Of the
average farmers COW and unfortunate
" her milking capacity as we'll Now
that the calf has become of so much
Importance and will continue to be-
come of much greater importance, the
name OF Jersey COW Is brought into
disrepute, and her progeny is cursed
throughout the land Unfortunate In
a way it Is for her that her blood has
so grea prepotency for even unto the
tenth generation removed, she Is still
given credit for the yelIow-backed,
sharp-rumped steer that shows hp In
the feed lot with such remarkably reg
ulariu.
SO, the farmer Is again today look.
ing for a COW that VIII first OF all pro
vide him better home milk supply
and viii produce profitable calf
Some one suggests. why not start ali
ever again and take the JerseyY Jer-
sey heifers are very much IN demand;
good dairy cattle are very scare. All
Of which Is true. II all the calves would
only be heifers but what about the
bullsf Good yearling Jersey heifets
49, ...,fh -. sfa.a. - ..-ss.-. 1