The Bulletin. ^1 



animals produced annually in this section, and that is tlie scarcity of level 

 land on which to produce the feed for carrying the young stocli through the 

 first winter. This troul)lo will he overcome, I am sure, in the near future, by 

 the introduction of the silo, by means of which immense quantities of fine, 

 succulent food may be produced from small areas of land. When this time 

 comes, we expect to see our mountain section disposing of the bulk of her 

 feeders as yearlings instead of as twos and threes, as at present, and thus, 

 by feeding only young, growing animals, secure the greater profit to be ob- 

 tained by handling this class of stock. 



LIVE-STOCK HELPS TO SOLVE THE LABOR PROBLEM. 



The labor problem is becoming more and more troublesome from year to 

 year, and it seems almost a necessity that the North Carolina farmer find 

 some means of handling his farm other than by hand-labor. On a well- 

 regulated stock farm the hand-labor necessary for the handling of a good- 

 sized business is reduced to the minimum. The animals themselves harvest 

 without cost— except for fencing— all the feed consumed during six to eight 

 months of the vear. The winter feed required may be, and is, grown and 

 handled principally by the use of large tools, operated by horse-power, con- 

 sequently the cost of production is low; and, too, the live-stock will consume 

 large amounts of the by-products of grain-gi-owing, that are worth very little 

 on the markets, but which must be made use of to the best advantage if the 

 farmer wishes to reap the highest reward for his labor. 



A LITTLE OBJECT LESSON. 



On our little farm of 240 acres we employ only one hand, and our total 

 expense for labor for one year, including filling the silo, under $200, not count- 

 ing my own and the labor of our twelve-year-old lad. During the past year 

 our farm produced in crops and pasture — at the market price for such prod- 

 ucts in our neighborhood— $3,264. We handle absolutely nothing but live- 

 stock — cattle, hogs, and sheep, with an occasional colt — and crops for the 

 winter feeding of the same. In other words, we practice what we preach, 

 breed and feed first-class live-stock, make a living, and something besides, by 

 the practice, and the farm is increasing in value about $1,500 per year. I be- 

 lieve we shall continue right along this line. 



And, in traveling over our State, I am gratified to see the advancement 

 being made in the live-stock business. A little seed has fallen here and there 

 during the past few years, which is springing up, and the fruit is becoming 

 apparent on all sides. Let the good work go on ; it is the greatest force we 

 have for the upbuilding of the agriculture of our State. 



THE BREEDING AND CARE OF THE DAIRY HERD. 



By R. L. SHUFORD, Catawba County. 



This is an age of specialties, and every dairyman should be a specialist, and 

 should have a special-purpose cow. By a special-purpose cow I mean one that 

 produces the greatest profit from her milk product. Her business is to con- 

 vert feed into milk at a profit. The scales and the Babcock test will tell us 

 the amount of the product. It does not matter so much what breed of cow 

 it is, if you know her performance. Of course, for dairy work we must select 

 one of the dairy breeds. I am glad to say that this style of cow is not con- 

 fined to any particular breed, but that the Holsteins, Jerseys, Guernseys and 

 Ayreshiresare all entered in the great breed race of to-day. and it is left for 

 us to decide which particular breed we will choose. Right here I might say 

 that it would be folly to cross any of the breeds. We would be simply 



