163 
THE RURAL N EC W ^YORKEK 
HENS vs. COWS. 
I give herewith a report of the contest 
between hens and cows as conducted at 
Maple Dale Farm for the year 1913 
just closed. The cut is from a photo¬ 
graph of my farm buildings where the 
w r ork was done. I keep 10 to 12 cows 
and S to 10 units of hens, raising my own 
young stock and buying all grain feed in 
both cases. I started the year with 1.800 
hens. From the cows I have sold during 
the year less than $2,000 worth of milk, 
beef and veal; to be exact $1,867.29. 
From the hens have sold during the same 
period $4,500 worth of market eggs and 
poultry, besides increasing my stock by 
800 birds, easily worth $500 more, mak¬ 
ing $5,000 in all from the hens. The 
feed bills were less than half of the to¬ 
tal sales in both cases but the cows have 
also consumed a barnful of hay. 
The cows make far more work than the 
hens. I hire one steady man. lie milks 
and cares for the cows. 
I care for the hens. The hens milk 
themselves. Ilis day’s work begins at 5 
a. m. Mine often begins at 7.30. The 
net returns from the hens are greater 
than the gross sales from the cows. This 
in effect is equivalent to relieving the 
milk producer from the payment of all 
feed bills, besides giving him his hay 
room or the help for any but a very 
gradual growth. 
1 have become rather in favor of the 
Guernsey, believing that the average 
Guernsey cow is a more profitable ani¬ 
mal than the average Jersey, and that a 
certain sum invested iw a Guernsey will 
buy a higher class animal than will the 
same amount spent for a Jersey. The 
Jerseys, owing to their beautiful appear¬ 
ance and the wonderful production of 
some cows, have been the victims of the 
“predatory rich,” who have put a fancy 
value on some families. The average 
grade cow is increasing in dairy value 
faster than the average registered ani¬ 
mal. The chief advantage of purebred 
stock is, I think, the good effect they 
have on us. We give them better 
quarters and care, we weigh and test 
their milk, and take a greater interest 
in their performance, and they return our 
care full value with interest. It amounts 
to the difference between going into busi¬ 
ness with some chance acquaintance who 
asks for u job and of forming a partner¬ 
ship with some friend who is an expert 
in his line. Of the first, we judge only 
by appearance, and know nothing of his 
“folks,” or what to expect from him. 
Of the second we have some proof, and 
we generally know the stock he comes 
from. In fact, working with grades is 
VIEW OF THE MAPES HEN AND COW BARNS. 
crop to sell for cash, and no more labor 
involved. Put it another way. It is in 
effect equivalent to a new breed of cows 
not only giving twice as much milk as 
present breeds, but also giving it in 
sealed bottles all ready to be gathered 
up once a day. 
Long live the business hen. 
o. tv. MAPES. 
A SENSIBLE COLORADO DAIRYMAN. 
We farmers must take our choice of 
the three kinds of farm papers published 
for our benefit. They are issued for the 
advantage of the advertiser, for the 
editor and printer, or possibly for the 
man who pays for it. The first kind 
does not cost much, and its value is 
equally as great; the second costs too 
much and tests about equal to some of 
the fancy stuff advertised in it. Once 
in a while we find one of the third kind, 
but are not apt to recognize it at first, 
because it is rather modest and conserva¬ 
tive, but we find we kind of like to get 
together. The real test is the fact that 
we get mad if it does not come on time. 
One of this latter kind finds its way 
out to my little farm near Denver, where 
it is eagerly waited for. Each issue lately 
has had some fine articles by practical 
‘men on the subject of purebred dairy 
stock. And right here I want to say 
that the great charm of The It. N.-Y. 
is the fact that I never have to read 
what some department editor has to say, 
but I always get the facts from a num¬ 
ber of men who talk from experience. 
A man who starts farming from choice, 
and even after a number of years, sticks 
to it from choice when offered other 
chances, usually looks mrward to the 
time when he can own and breed some 
registered stock. Mind, I am not talking 
of the “farmer” who commences with 
prize winners and a “superintendent” 
and who very often fails to notice a 
really good animal until he happens to 
be told what it cost. These wealthy men 
often do a great deal for a breed by get¬ 
ting together a certain “family” and 
keeping it to a high standard, but un¬ 
fortunately they also keep the price to 
such a high plane as to put really fine 
animals entirely beyond the small 
breeder, and there is one feature where 
the small breeder excels. He must cull 
more closely, because fie has not the 
a gamble, while working with “blood” 
is a game. j. b. plato. 
Colorado. 
WHY I BREED BERKSHIRES. 
The Berkshire is the handsomest type 
of swine ever developed. They appeal 
to the idealist more than to the everyday 
practical farmer. A “hog is a hog” to 
him, regardless of his makeup. To one 
who is seeking the most-beautiful, a hog 
that appeals to him is a Berkshire. In 
most cases it is not too much to say that 
before a man can appreciate a high- 
class Berkshire he must have a critical 
eye, a keen sense of beauty of form and 
lots of interest in the values of life, for 
a Berkshire, at his best, stands apart 
from the typical, mere hog. Some claim 
they are not big enough; others that they 
are “rich man’s, or gentleman’s hog.” 
No breed is better adapted to all parts 
of the country, especially the East. They 
are good rustlers and rangers, will turn 
almost any kind of feed into pork, and 
cut the highest percentage of the best 
kind of pork; one of the best breeds for 
export. They are unexcelled as mothers 
and very prolific. M. h. taylor. 
Pensylvania. 
LIVE STOCK NOTES. 
The Kansas Horse Breeders, by reso¬ 
lutions, declared that the stallion owner 
should be given more protection by law. 
He should hold a lieu on the mare and 
offspring for 18 months from the time 
the mare is bred, they decided. It was 
suggested that there should be a $20 
to $50 fine for anyone who should sell, 
or remove from the State, such mare or 
colt without the consent of the stallion 
owner. They also expressed themselves 
as being in favor of more colt shows. 
They decided to boost this work through 
farmers’ institutions and fairs. 
The American Guernsey Cattle Club 
has endeavored to surround the breeders 
of Guernsey with all the safeguards pos¬ 
sible, so that they may ever have at hand 
means of identification of their animals. 
The form of certificate which the club is 
now using shows not only the registration 
data on the one side, but on the reverse 
side gives a copy of the sketch of the 
animal as it was filed with the club at 
the time of registration. This insures 
every purchaser of Guernseys an oppor¬ 
tunity to check up his purchase with the 
original description filed, and is a great 
help to breeders in keeping a careful rec¬ 
ord of their herds. During the first week 
in 1914 there were entered in the Herd 
Register 101 bulls and 206 cows, a total 
of 307; 243 transfers have also been re¬ 
corded. 
January .31, 
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CHICAGO USA 
Champion Peering McCormick Milwaukee Osborne Plano 
