Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1922-12-07
DAIRY YING In
WATAUGAC0UNTY
Interesting Article by L. D. Lowe
Of Banner Elk - Suggests New
Strain of Cows To Meet Creamery
Demands.


lhave taken note from time to
time of the vast amount of cheese
that has been manufactured and
shipped from Watauga for the past
few years; that sometime ago there
were about nine thousand COWS in
the county, and that there is a pros
pect for a creamery to be establish
ed in Boone for the purpose of Man
ufacturing the cream into butter.
provided that seventy-ive farmers
will purchase cream seperators.
But when the farmers undertake to
produce cream instead of furnishing
milk for a cheese factory, they will
find that they will have to have to
a different type Of cattle from the
Holstein or the beef type; they will
hav to substitute Guernseys and
Jerseys in lieu of the cattle which
produce a small amount of butter
fat. The Holstein will produce a
large quantity of milk but it has
low PERCENTAGE of butter-fat.
If one would mention the value Of
fine Jersey or Guernsey cow to
the farmer who raises u few good
beef cattle to sell each year, he will
shake his head in disdain and say
that ne would not keep one on his
place, and tell him Of the excellent
quality of the milk of a good Guer-
nsey and the amount of butter-fat
she will produce in a year, you will
find that he has never given the mat
ter a moments thouht no made SIM
pie calculation to show that fine
cow of the milk strain will earn him
more money than any animal on his
farm; while as a matter of fact
tk.t more than sixty per cent of
the milch cows will not pay for
their keep.
The butter from a Guernsey COW
is worth 10 or Is cents more on the
pound than butter from the ordin-
ary COW, and it will sell for this diff
ference on the market, and this be-
ing true, why should the small farmer
not keep good Jerseys or Guernseys,
or grade from the two, for the
purpose Of suppling his home de-
mands and have some fine butter
to spare instead of trying to keep
beef cattle, only, and do without
milk, cream and butter during a
great portion of the time.
The Island of Guernesy is one of
the Camel Islands, off the coast
of France, and it is said that this
Island has belonged to Great Brit
ain for more than thousand years;
that all the cattle on Guernesy Is
Land are thoroughbred Guernesys;
that in 1913 there was a law enacted
for this Island forbidding the ship
ment of cattle to this Island; that
the blood of this type has been kept
pure and they have been bred for
the highest quality Of milk and the
largest amount Of butter-fat; and
Tor thes ereasons the high prices for
thoroughbred Guernsey cows are
maintained and will prevail for a
number of years.
The milk Of the Guernsey cow is
so rich in butter-fat it is necessary
to dilute the milk about one-third
with water for her calf to thrive and
do well, but if the milk is allowed
to stand until the cream rises then
take the cream off the calf will thrive
as well as it will on the milk of the
ordinary COW.
When the farmer who raises cat
tie OF the beef type advises his neigh
Dor who owns small farm to not
invest in Guernesy COW, h.. is civ
ing him 'e'y 2ocr advice AMI while
fe means to aNise him well, he is
dong him al lrjury,
A former Watauga man, who now
lives in Pennsylvania, says that farm
ers in that state who send milk to
The cities have to keep either Guern-
sey or Jersey cows to mix the milk
with that Of Holstein cows to raise
the quality to the required test, and
this being true, it will be we'll for
the farmers who contemplate furn-
lshlng cream for creamery, to bear
in mind that they must keep cows of
the dairy type, or they will find by
experience what they should have
known in advance of their UNDER
taking.
L. D. LOWE.