Albuquerque morning journal., 1921-08-29
DAIRY HERDS OF FORT SCOTT,
KANSAS, PUT ON HIGH SCALE BY
united EFFORTS OF Community
High Grade and Registered Dairy Cows and
Sires Have Been Imported and Thousands
Raised in District Within Past Six Years;
Steps in Program Outlined.
fBY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,

BY TILE ASSON
Fort Scott, Kans., Aug. 2S.-De-
velopment of a community from
agricultural prostration to per-
manent agricultural prosperity in
six years, through the joint promo
ton of the dairy industry and hard
surfaced roads, has been the ac-
complishment of the Fort Scott
Chamber of Commerce, IN coop
Grafton with the county farm bu-
reau, leading farmers and the
board of county commissioners.
In 1915 when this movement was
inaugurated, there were less than
a dozen dairy herds in the county.
There now are hundreds of farm
ers marketing milk daily. More
than a thousand high grade and
registered dairy cows and sires
have been imported and other
thousands raised here within the
six-year period.
When a number of business men
and leading farmers held a meet
ing six years ago and analyzed the
situation confronting the commun-
ity they summed it up as follows;
1.-THE evil results Of this unsuita-
BILE system of agriculture were
everywhere apparent. Soil fertil-
ity was yearly being exhausted;
crop yields were yearly growing
less; farm values were decreasing;
improvements on the farms were
depreciating; the percentage of
renters was exceedingly high and
general spirit of agricultural de-
preston prevailed"
Borden Factory Helps.
One of the most prominent fac
tors in the success of the program
was the establishment Of a Borden
milk condensory here through the
efforts of the chamber of COM
merce. It's operation serves as an
index of the advance of the dairy
industry. When 1t started opera
tion in April, 1915, 1t received
5000 pounds of milk. On January
a, 1921, the daily receipts had
grown to $4,000 pounds. This
plant alone paid approximately
half a million dollars for milk
during the year 1920.
Bourbon county claims to be the
pioneer hard surface roads county
of the state. In six years it has de-
veloped a county highway system
of $50 miles. o. which 225 miles
have been approved for building
by the county commissioners. In
addition to a county system, the
chamber of commerce, in cooper
alton with the county board of
commissioners, has had in view
making Fort Scott a center of
through highways, connecting Fort
Scott with other industrial centers
to the north, south, east and west.
The city now is on eight highways.
The chamber of commerce has or
ganized and marked or assisted in
organizing and marking seven of
these routes through this county.
Two of them, the jefferson, north
and south, and the Atlantic Pacif-
ic, east and west, extend across the
United States.
The various stages Of the devel-
opment Of the dairy industry since
a few business men and progress
sive farmers in 1915 met and de-
cided that 1.-The surest and best
method of securing agricultural
prosperity was to develop a dairy
hard surface road community"
follows:
Educational campaign, mainly
through the press.
Several car loads of high class
dairy cows brought here by the
chamber of commerce and sold at
cost to farmers.
Dairy Experts Used.
Obtaining assistance of dairy ex-
perts of the Kansas state agricul-
tural college and of the agricul-
tural departments of railroads.
Holding community meetings to
outline the plan and explain its
feasibility: posters giving dairy facts
and figures placed in conspicuous
places throughout the country.
Developing a market for whole
milk, augmenting the sour cream
depots.
Three large milk concerns OF
Kansas City established milk ship
ming stations in this district,
Chamber of commerce purchased
ten registered Holstein sires. for
use without charge; still owns
seven of them.
Negotiations with Borden COM
pany for condensery resulted sue
cessfully.
Establishment of annual dairy
show.
Special excursions to northern
dairy STAGES in Iowa, Illinois and
Wisconsin. Or first special train
were 1862 persons, practically all
from this city and vicinity.
Advertising campaigns to bring
dairymen to establish
themselves in this county.
Import Registered Holsteins.
Organization OF company capi-
TALKED at 100000 to bring zoo
registered Holstein cows and four
registered sires. to be distributed
under five year contract.
In discussing the development OF
the dairy-highway program. Sec
retary H. A. Russell Of the cham
ber of commerce said:
"No claim Is made that any new
methods were found by which this
Improvement could be
accomplished. The plan Of. devel-
opment that was adopted here has
been carried out in other COM
munities in different sections of
the country with excellent results.
HoWevep this fa ct which Uaa co