DEMONSTRATION WORK IN ANIMAL HUSBANDRY. 



By TAIT BUTLER, Veterinarian. 



DAIRYING. 



A uniformly high price for first-class dairy products and facilities 

 for producing cheap forage are unquestionably two important factors 

 in successful dairy husbandry. North Carolina has both of these, 

 but, nevertheless, as at present conducted, dairying is not generally 

 profitable in this State. Moreover, it is a demonstrated fact that 

 where dairying is not now profitable it is chiefly due to a lack of per- 

 sonal attention to proper business management or a failure on the part 

 of the dairyman to fully use in a practical way the large amount of 

 dairy information available to any man who intelligently studies the 

 business. In other words, where dairying is not now successful in 

 this State it is usually the fault of the dairyman rather than the exist- 

 ing unfavorable dairy conditions beyond his control. To be more 

 specific, dairy failures in North Carolina are chiefly due to a failure 

 to study, know and follow the teachings of modern dairy science, and 

 a lack of personal attention to business management. 



Recognizing the foregoing facts, the Dairy Division of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture began dairy demonstration work in 

 this State nearly two years ago, with the direct purpose of assisting 

 our dairymen to obtain better results. During this time the North 

 Carolina State Department of Agriculture has, in a limited way, 

 co-operated with the Federal workers, and at its last meeting the State 

 Board of Agriculture made an appropriation for the support of this 

 work, in order that the co-operation might be more effectual and com- 

 plete. 



METHOD OF CONDUCTING THE WORK. 



The method of conducting this work has been about as follows : 

 An expert dairyman of experience has been regularly employed, 

 and during the summer, when the work was such that one man could 

 not attend to it all, an additional man has been temporarily engaged. 

 These men have visited the farms of dairymen in various parts of the 

 State and endeavored to assist them in obtaining better results. At 

 the first visit to a farm the entire plant is carefully looked over; the 

 methods of conducting the business are inquired into ; the manner of 

 feeding is studied; the kind and quality of the products examined 

 and the market prices learned. 



After becoming familiar with the present workings of the dairy, 

 the demonstrator is in a position to make suggestions for future im- 



