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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 1914)
11 Dairying on Dry Land Farms HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION DAIRYING is the one never (ailing money-making resource In dry land farming for the family with little capital. The native wild grass is a dependable dairy feed. Kafir and sorghum, when given good treatment, never fail to produce feed crops. These sure feed crops make good silage and for ten dollars' out lay and his labor, the dry-land farm er can build a pit silo. Buyers of cream pay cash at the time of each purchase. The dry-land farmer with a herd of good dairy cows receives a cash income every week through the year, whether the season is wet or dry. The new settler in a dry land country who takes a herd of milking cows with him can go out the first morning he is in his new home and milk the cows while his wife is get ting breakfast. He can separate tho cream and begin a steady cash in come with the first day in his now home. The regular weekly return from the sale of cream enables the new settler to pay cash for his house hold supplies and he need not have store bills. The skim milk fed to hens and pigs adds to the profits. The countless losses and failures in dry-land farming in the South -west have come from attempts to make a living from exclusive grain farming and no stock. A careful dry land farmer in Eastern Colorado raised six profitable crops of grain in 18 years. The 1914 grain crop is heavy throughout the Panhandle. The last generally good grain crop in that district was in 1908. The man who depends entirely upon raising grain finds the wait between crops too long. It is particularly hard when the new settler comes at the beginning of a period of dry years. Where the main income is furnished by the dairy cows, the dry-land farm er lives comfortably every year. He sows grain only in those seasons when there is ample moisture and the money that the grain brings is a surplus that can be used for invest ment. When the dry land farmer has suf ficient capital and is not obliged to have a weekly or monthly income, beef cattle, horses and mules are money-makers. Many of the old settlers on the plains have become wealthy and now have fine homes, some of them are bank directors, from the profits made from raising beef cattle and horses. Beef cattle can be finished to top the market on silage made from kafir or sorghum fed wilh kafir or milp grain and cot tonseed meal. The gains are more rapid than the usual gains made in the corn belt. When you think of dry-land farm ing, think of dairying. When yoa move to a dry-land farm, take ten to twenty good dairy cevs with you. Make your main crops feed crops for the dairy cows. Store the surplus in cheap pit silos. Take good care of the cows and of the cream. You will prosper. H. M. Cottrell, Agricul tural Commissioner, Rock Island lines. Fall Calves Versus Spring Calves i lis sUaixil.u Dy most farmers can to a considerable extont have a that spring is the natural season for everything to bring forth their young, and, rightly fed and cared for, animals born at this time might prove most satisfactory and profitable in general. However, there are many circum stances and conditions peculiar to this season which often bring about unsatisfactory results with calves. In many cases the cows are run down in flesh after coming through tho winter, so that their unborn calves have been partly starved and con sidered stunted'. Again, not one farmer in a thou sand ever takes Into consideration the fact that the sire of their calves is run down by too much breeding during the rush season when cows come in heat, which also has a most deteriorating influence on the size and vitality of his offspring. This is particularly true of the farmer oper ating only a small-sized dairy, keep ing no bull in connection, but taking his cows to some other dairyman who does. Another point that often makes for unsatisfactory results with spring calves is the fact that the rush sea son for field work comes on at prac tically the same time as the calves, and the latter thus often are neg lected or slighted, especially where skim milk is fed, some calves being cheated by the others, little or no grain being given and digestive trou bles being brought on because of sour palls for feeding milk at an im proper temperature, etc. All at fluo Time. Some claim that the calves all coming at practically the same time enables the farmer to tend to many as well as he would with only a few, and, while this is true, the full ad vantage of this point is not taken by any appreciable number of farmers. With a little systematizing of feed ing and caring for the calves this plan would work well, but it takes careful planning the same as with any other work. Of course, grass is plentiful and forms the ideal feed for spring calves, but the presence of Intense heat and the torturing flies more than counterbalance the good effect of the pasturage as against the succulent rations which may be supplied in connection with winter calf raising. Now that silos are coming Into more or less general use, the man who has provided himself with one of these necessary farm equipments, ration, which may be fed to the calves in the winter time, which will largely take the place of grass. By having the calves dropped in the fall, the farmer usually has more spare time to devote to them, and they are apt to be given a better chance. He also can handle the dairy pro ducts with more care, and, with, the cool weather in connection, his profits will be higher, dairy products usually being a better price at this season because of the scarcity of them. Fall Calves Healthier. Fall calves are very apt to be more vigorous and healthy than spring calves, as the cows have just passed through the grazing season, and usually are in prime condition for developing their offspring; while the absence of flies, and the cool, in vigorating weather combine to pro mote rapid, healthy growth. Some offer the objection to fall calves that they are harder to take through the winter than spring calves, but with good, warm quar ters, proper care and ample feed, the fall calves will come through tho fol lowing spring in as good or better condition than the spring calves. Notice the very slight differences in size between the spring calf and the fall calf, the next spring after theii first winter, and you will see this point clearly. A compromise on this question by having the cows drop their calves at practically all seasons of the year, will prove most satisfactory, especial ly with the dairy farmer owning a herd of only moderate size. Then, the farm household will be well supplied with milk, cream and butter the year round (something not always so with either spring or fall calving) and the profits from tho dairy herd will be coming In every week a much better plan than hav ing them drop In at intervals, with a portion of the year being without any. BUSH & LANE Pianos Stand The Test of Time Bash Lsne Pianos are built to sustain the repu tation w hire ipent years In establishing. Thia reputation for piano quality includes every detail of auperioritjr tone action durability, eta. W back thia claim with a guarantee aa broad aa it ii binding. Ton MUST be satisfied. Some exceptional values in standard Pianos taken in trade for $100 and up. Bush & Lane Piano Co. House or Originalitx Washington Street, Cor. of 12th. 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Send for catalog. 21 Marshall Strut. Portland. Dwoa will be proof that the Pacific Northwest raises as fine corn as the "corn belt." It will be held under the auspices of the OREGON-WASHINGTON RAILROAD & NAVIGATION CO. at WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON NOVEMBER 25 TO 28, 1914 10,000 representative ears, the cream of 1,000 acres, from the 1914 crop of this newest and best addition to Pacific Northwest products, will be on competi tive exhibition. Low Bound Trip Fares. Tickets, Schedules and full informa tion upon application to any agent of the O-W. R. & N. Aslt for Premium List.
