Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-11-08
KING COTTON IS
DETHRONED BY QUEEN
BOSSY IN ALA. co.
CONTINUED From Page ~

Il
operated to check it's development.
"But cattle-raising had a toe-hold
in the community" remarked Nor
gan Richards, who is a real secre-
tary of'a real chamber of commerce.
1--WE decided on dairying on this ac-
count, but we were confronted with
the necessity Of providing a market
for the milk from the farms.
"The Selma Oil, Ice and Fertilizer
company agreed to .invest $4,000 in
creamery, after we had secured an
assurance of the milk from 1900
COWS, scattered throughout Dallas
county. A 300-gallon churn was in
stalled, with such other equipment as
was required for a sour cream plant,
the idea being to make butter.
1--WE found very shortly that the
product oft he 10000 COWS would not
begin to meet the full requirements
of the creamery, and we found, too,
that we had no real COWS in the
county. They were runts and scrubs
and gave relatively little milk.
A Testing Association
"It became obvious in Selma and
in the country alike that such COWS
as we had were losing propositions,
and to demonstrate this clearly we
organized among the farmers a test
ing association, employing an expert
to test the milk-giving qualities OF
every COW. This was very simple
The expert weighed the feed given a
COW and then weighed her milk. 1t
was cost accounting scheme, moth
ing more. The cow that ate more
feed than she gave milk was. retired
It wasn't difficult for the farmers to
see the advantage either Of killing
the cow for beef or retiring her for
breeding purposes.
eve got other and better cows, -
Mr.. Richards was continuing, when
interrupted.
"But times were hard, so where
did the farmers get the money to
buy well-bred dairy cattle?"
eve had some difficulty at hrst,
he answered. '|rhe chamber of com
merce took up this question with a
cooperative. dairy association in WIS
consin. We learned that the farm
ers in that organization purchase
their cattle on cooperative scheme
that is to say, every member OF the
association indorses for the fellow
menlDeC WuO ueoAl CD " DN1
cattle.
eve had no cooperative buyine
organization in the county, and the
nlan wasn't practicable on, this &C
count. The banks were bit tlmlc
when we first approached them, pu'
! a plan was devised that met every
REQUIREMENT of sound business.
Cows Buy Themselves -,
"The creamery imported the we'll
bred cattle and distributed tneiI
among the farmers, who gave theil
| Individual notes, secured by a mort
gage on the cattle purchased anc
additional cattle in their possession
saThe purchasers entered into al
agreement with the creamery TO oe
Duct a certain percentage from tneil
cream checks, payable sem1-montn!y
| This deduction to be applied TO tn'
c,1rtailment Of the note. With the
Endorsement Of the creamery, the 10
cal banks discounted the notes, ane
exnerience proved that the cream
check deductions paid for the GOV
or bull lin eight months.
"It is gratifying to remark in this
connection, now, that the farmers o
Dallas county are no longer import
ing well bred cattle. They are raising
them in the county, and nave tnell
for sale. The banks are no Longer
discounting cattle paper, pecaus
there is no longer any such papel
offered for discount.
"And now let me revert to TN
initial stages Of the dairying 1ndus
try in Dallas county. In 1918 ther'
were $4,000 cows in the county, pro
ducing annually 100000 gallons o
milk; today there are l5,0OO COW
in the county, producing 1,OoO'Oo
gallons. BY good breeding and prop
err care, the production Of milk ha
been increased 700 per cent in sl1
wears, while the number of cattle ha
been increased only rs per cent
Another Angle Discussed
Mr.. Richards now turned his at
tention to another aspect of tn
dairying industry, remarking upol
. improvements in other lines Of farm
activity that have accompanied thu
dairy development.
sit has been established beyond al
questions that the farmers canno
produce milk proftably on purchas
ed feed stuff" he said, "They real
| ize this full we'll, and in consequence
the production of corn, velvet beans
and hay has multiplied in the coun
ty. We don't sci these products il
the bulk or bale in Dallas county
! We sell some of them on the hoof
in hogs, but we sell more Of them il
dairy products.
1.-THE farmer who engages in dairy
ing on purchased feed stuffs is bound
to fail, and there is no sense in such
an undertaking. We have excellen
pastures throughout the dairy sec
ton, and we produce ever increasing
quantities of corn and hay and velve
beans.
'The creameries in Selma are nov
prepared to, and do handle, whole
milk or separated cream. Some farm
ers prefer to sell the whole milk
while others sell only their cream
feeding the skinned milk to pigs
We have milk shipping depots scat
tered for distance Of $50 miles
! from Selma.
Low Freight Rates
"And this thought brings to MIND
something else that is pertinent, the
cost Of transportation. The rail
roads appreciate the Importance y
the dairying industry and it's posi-
bilities in the south, and they have
lent every. encouragement to it's de
velopment. The rates on milk an(
cream are lower than on any othel
farm commodity. Milk and cream
moves at nominal rate, as baggage
on passenger trains, and the empty
cans are returned to the sender
without charge"
After talking with Mr.. Richards
I visited the City National bank O.
Selma, and there talked with H. C
Armstrong, it's president. He is en-
ti.usiastic over the dairying indusry
in Selma and vicinity. 1t has beer
a wonderful thing for the whole com
munjty.