The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1921-02-05
INTELLIGENT DAIRY
FARMING IS URGED
Higgins of A. & M. Says Know
What Your Cows Produce
Join a Bull Club.
Dear Dairy Farmers:

Dear Dairy Farmers:-
While standing at the end Of the
old year and at the beginning Of the
new year 1921, there is no better
time to summarize and total up what
you have done during the past year
and to lay plans and make resolu-
tions to be carried out during the
present year. The past should give
ideas of what to do and what to
expect the results to be in the fu-
ture. It is only by keeping records
as we go along that we are able to
view the past clearly, sum UP results,
and deduct conclusions which may
serve as guides for our future acti-
vities.
What OF your farming activities
during the past year? What special
branches Of farming were most sue
cessful? Which were failuresf Did
your dairy herd pay a pront? Did
each COW in the herd make a profit
over the cost Of feed consumed and
other overhead expenses? Do you
know but that you could have fed
and handled Y or "a the number
and more proht? Was a bal
anced ration fed. and was each COW
fed according to her productive ca
pacity thereby getting the most pos
sible from the expenditure for feed?
Did you grow all the hay, other
rough feeds, and some Of the grains
needed to carry the herd through
the winter? Was 1t profitable to
grow all cotton last year and buy all
the feeds needed this winter? In
fguring results during the past
years, or the past 10 years, would 1t
have been more profitable to have
grown all cotton and bought these
supplies? Has good pure bred bull
Of known high production blood lines
been kept at the head Of the herd?
These are some of the questions
which each dairyman should ask
himself, and the ability to answer
them correctly and in a dehnite way
will portray the business methods es-
sential to success.
Now that the past years work is
summed UP and analyzed, about face,
looking toward the coming year.
Make solemn resolutions and plans
for more successful year than ever
before. Resolve to keep more accur-
ate records on your various farm ae-
tivities and to put more thought into
the planning of same. To weed out
the inferior cows from the herd, give
the good cows better care, and to use
more system In feeding. To close
this year with a much better herd
than was owned at the beginning. To
know what each COW has consumed
and what she has produced from
same, thereby eliminating the guess.
To not be satisfied with cows which
merely pay for their feed and care.
To plan the cropping system such
that all the legume hay and other
roughage needed. with some Of the
grain ration. will be grown at home.
To put forth every effort to have a
supply of silage for next winter. To
have silage or a soiling crop to sup
plement short pasturage during Aug
ust, September and October. To inn
prove the permanent pasture. To
plant cotton after sufficient acreage
has been set aside for these other
crops only. To help to organize and
join bull association If possible. To,
In some way, provide the herd with
the service Of a registered bull Of
good individuality and the 3 nearest
ancestors on both sides Of which have
production records Of not less than
500 pounds of butterfat IN one year.
To fully. develop heifer calves result
ing from such breeding, and to not
breed any of them under 16 months
OF age. To start the herd on the u.
S. Department of Agriculture 'tu-
berculosis free" accredited herd list.
To cooperate with neighbor dairy
farmers in buying feeds in car lots,
in organizing cooperative cream
routes, in organizing COW testing as
sociations, bull associations, and to
cooperate In other ways for the gem
eral Improvement Of dairy condit-
icns in the community. To deliver
only first grade cream to the local
creamery. And. last, resolve solemn
ly to exert every effort 10 carry out
all the above resolutions.
Sincerely yours,
L. A. Higgins, Dairy Husbandman.
Starkville, Miss.