The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1925-09-09
Tribune Tells
Story of Redwood
C0unty's Growth
SUNDAY EDITION OF MINNEAPO-
LIS PAPER REMARKS ON PRO-
GRESS IN DAIRYING MADE
HERE.

The Minneapolis Tribune of last
Sunday contained a very interesting
article on Redwood County's agri-
cultural status and it's effects on the
county's financial future. A portion
of this article, dealing especially
with the dairy industry of the county
is reprinted here.
Although not very large, Redwood
county makes up what it lacks in
size by the quality and quantity OF
its farm products.
Perhaps no other county in the
state nor any section of the north
west has been more bountifully bless
ed by nature than Redwood county
with its deep black loan soil under.
laid with clay and it's ideal drainage
This drainage is Furnished by the
Minnesota, Redwood and Cottonwood
rivers. The county is gently undul.
ating and makes drainage into these
rivers a comparatively easy task. A
great deal Of tiling has been done in
the county so that there is very little
waste land. Small patches which
cannot be easily cultivated provide
ideal pasture.
Redwood county was one of the
very first counties of the state to
make a start in diversified farming.
1t was already firmly established be-
fore a great many of the other sect
ions of the state had made a start
Much credit for obtaining better
dairy types of cattle is due to w. H
Gold of Redwood Falls, for many
years head of the State Bank of Red
wood Falls and now president Of the
Southern Minnesota Joint Stock LanG
bank.
In 1908 Mr.. Gold with R. w. Sears
of Sears, Roebuck & Co. established
a model Holstein farm at Wabasso
The finest grade of registered Hol
stein cattle were bought from New
York and put on this farm. From
this original herd many of the pres
ent herds of the county got theil
start.
After the death of Mr.. Sears the
farm at Wabasso was discontinued
and a new purebred Holstein farm
started by Mr.. Gold and his son, G
w. Gold, not far from Redwood Falls
The work of breeding high grade
Holstein cattle was continued for sew.
eral years and Holstein cattle from
this herd were scattered all over the
northwest.
The real value of bringing in
these cattle can be realized by COM
pairing statistics for the county fol
1911 with those of 1923. In 1911
there were 12,010 cows being milkeG
from which 3,189,231 pounds o1
cream were received; 1,151 ,,86s
pounds of butter were made from this
cream for which the farmers receiv-
ed S24S,403.99. In 1922 there were
1900 cows being MIXED from which
4,96S,922 pounds of cream were re.
ceived making 1,526,641 pounds O.
butter from which the farmers re
ceived S46O,410.19.
Each year the type of dairy cat
tie in the county is being improved
by the splendid work of the pure
bred sire clubs and the cow testins
associations.
In order to obtain better result.
in dairying many farmers of the
county have formed purebred sir,
clubs and purchased purebred bull
for breeding purposes. Much valu
able work along this line has beer
done by County Agent Lynn Sheldon
q The cow testing associations have
more than justified themselves in
wedding out the boarder cows. Vol
untary associations are formed ant
men hired to keep an accurate recort
of the daily and monthly production
of the different cows in the herds o1
members of the association. In thi.
way the poorer cows are dropped out
until each herd has only the best pro
ducing and best paying animals left
The best cows in the various COW
testing associations are exhibiting a
the Redwood County fair in competi
tion with farmers who are not mem
bers of the associations.
This year at the county fair, S
A. Wittwer of Redwood Falls viii
represent the Redwood Falls cow test
ing association with his Guernsey cat
tie while o. D. Streeter of Redwood
Falls will represent the same associ
alton with Holstein cattle. From
May 1, 1924, to May 1, 1925, the tota
production of the four Guernsey cows
owned by Mr.. Wittwer was 1,657.'
pounds of butterfat, while the tota
production of the four Holstein cows
owned by Mr.. Streeter was 1,619.s
pounds of butterfat
Continued on last page.)