SEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK-PART VII. 337 



there is a creamery in Iowa large enough to hold starter enough 

 to make it good again. 



The President : Professor Van Pelt, of Ames, .will now address 

 you. 



CARE, FEED AND MANAGEMENT OF THE DAIRY HERD. 



PROF. HUGH G. VAN PELT. SUPT. DAIRY FARM, IOWA STATE COLLEGE, AMES. 



In the not distant past the subject, "Care, Feed and Management of 

 the Dairy Herd," would have been interesting to only a few. Land was 

 cheap, farms large and in their virgin state of fertility. Agricultural 

 operations were performed on an extravagant, if not a wasteful basis, 

 and yet returned the farmer a large margin of profit. Grain farming 

 predominated, with a few extensive feeders in each community buying 

 and utilizing the grain for feeding purposes. All operations were con- 

 ducted on an extensive basis. Steer feeding fit into the proposition 

 admirably because grazing land and feed were cheap and plentiful. The 

 labor required for the care, feed and management of a dozen dairy cows 

 was sufficient to care for a hundred fattening cattle. 



These conditions still exist over a large portion of Iowa, but history 

 is repeating itself and even now the importance of dairy questions is 

 evident to the Iowa farmer. The price of land has increased greatly in 

 the past few years, rents are high, and as a result, profits are less cer- 

 tain. To meet with these changing conditions diversified and intensive 

 farming must ensue. Large farms are being divided into smaller ones; 

 every foot of ground must be utilized, causing more labor to be expended 

 on a smaller acreage. What was heretofore waste must now measure 

 the profits. Here the dairy cow fits in with the same grace that the 

 steer did in the more extensive operations. She returns a regular in- 

 come to her owner and is the most economical producer of food for man. 



Iowa has for some time ranked at the top as a b utter producing state, 

 but much of this butter his been produced at a small margin of profit and 

 much of it at a loss. One reason for this is due to the class of cows 

 that have been milked, but a much greater reason is that their care, 

 feed and management has been at fault. It is an easy matter at the 

 present time by the use of the Babcock test and scales to determine 

 whether a cow is a source of profit or loss to her owner; but it is a 

 large question in my mind whether the cow or her owner is at fault; 

 whether it is the cow's lack of capacity and ability or her lack of op- 

 portunity that causes her to be a losing proposition. In 50 per cent of 

 the cases I dare say it is her lack of opportunity. 



Coming to realize the important place the dairy cow has to fill on the 

 Iowa dairy farm, and that her production is in direct proportion to the 

 opportunity afforded her, the importance of the subject, "Care, Feed and 

 Management of the Dairy Cow," is quite evident. 

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