WESTERN COMPETITION. 235 



good result for our State. Within a few days I noticed in a western 

 agricultural paper that the average yield of butter per cow per year 

 in Iowa was 71 pounds, and Wisconsin 82 pounds. I do not know 

 the average yield per cow in Maine, but will say if there is a farmer 

 present who owns a cow that will not aiake more butter than either 

 of these he ought to dispose of her. Why, my nearest neighbor has 

 run a dairy Of ten cows this last year, and in twelve months he made 

 3010 pounds of butter, and told me that if nothing happened bis 

 cows would pay him $110 each for this last year. 



Of course these are extreme figures, but I hold what can be done 

 in one section of this State can be done in another, and I dare say, in . 

 this very town there is another farmer who can claim as good results, 

 as this ; and so on all through the State of Maine where farmers are 

 pa3ing strict attention to this line of business. Now, according to- 

 the best information I can get, it requires, to put it safe, two cows in, 

 the State of Iowa to pay as much yearl}' income as one in Maine ; . 

 and if we can compete with Iowa we need never fear any other State. . 

 With our favorable climate, with our markets at our own doors, by. 

 procuring good strains of butter-producing animals and paying strict, 

 attention to the business, we can compete with any section of the 

 country in this line of cattle husbandry. 



How about the beef-growing interest ? If there is any line of cattle 

 husbandry that needs any encouragement at the present time it is the 

 beef-growing interest. The present prices of beef seem to discourage 

 farmers, and there is a stronger friendship prevailing in my part of 

 the State between the farmer and the cow, and the Jersey cow, too. 

 Now, I am very sorry to own this fact, but it is too true. Is it good 

 policy for farmers in accepting the dairy as a specialty to accept this 

 breed? There is one thing certain, if we accept this breed we sacri- 

 fice the beef qualities. Perhaps we may be obliged to admit that 

 the}^ are a more reliable butter-producing animal than the Durham 

 or the Holstein. But, suppose we all get established in dairying and 

 accept the .Jersey cow, and the prices of butter should fall below a 

 living profit, think what the State of Maine would be obliged to 

 sacrifice in order to get in position to grow beef again. 



Well, here we are with these two interests nearly equally divided 

 in the State of Maine. Must we all accept dairying simply because 

 we have got the idea that we cannot compete with the West in growing 

 beef? We will admit that there are some things about dairying that 



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