growing birds, especially, kept free from lice. The turkey grower who
practices the best systems of management and feeding will be successful
and will find a ready market for his product at Thanksgiving and during
the Christmas holidays. A few birds may be successfully kept in
confinement and used as a home-raised source of high quality meat during a
considerable portion of the year.
_Guinea Fowl._--The guinea is known for its watch-dog proclivities, making
a characteristic raucous noise when strangers appear; for the rich quality
of the eggs which are produced in good quantity; and for the delectability
of the breast meat when properly prepared. The young guinea may be fed as
has been recommended for young chicks. The older birds are excellent
foragers and require little attention. The country home owner, if he does
not object to their noise, will find a few of these unusual birds an
interesting and valuable asset.
_Pheasants._--Many persons with a flair for the new and unusual are
successfully raising pheasants, the Ring Neck variety being the most
popular. While they are not so hardy as chickens and must be given some
added care for that reason, they may be fed in the same manner and kept
successfully in confinement. Pheasants may be used as an additional source
of income since they are nearly always in demand for meat. The eggs may be
hatched in incubators or by hens and the young pheasants brooded like
chicks. The period of incubation is 21 days. Shelter is not necessary
except in extremely cold weather and not then if trees or shrubs are
available. Detailed information on game bird production can be obtained
from More Game Birds in America, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York City.
_Do's_
Net income depends upon efficient management and each phase of the latter
must be mastered.
Feed a well-balanced chick ration to the very young and growing stock.
Be sure the ration fed to laying stock is adapted to their needs in egg
production.
Sanitation measures are fundamental in good management and their neglect
may be fatal.
Follow the management recommendations of practical and successful
poultrymen.
Use the marketing system best adapted to the locality and the personal
factor of sales ability.
Determine possibilities of selling ducks, geese, turkeys and other fowl as
a means of supplementing income from chickens.
Remember each type of poultry requires specific management.
_Don'ts_
Don't neglect scientific feeding of the poultry flock.
Don't go into poultry production on a large scale without experience.
Don't neglect local markets as outlets for the sale of eggs and poultry
and don't make shipment of eggs and stock to commission houses of unknown
rating.
Don't over-extend in poultry investment to the point where temporary
reversal would be disastrous.
_Chapter_ XI
THE FAMILY MILK SUPPLY
Living in the country should make possible an adequate and safe milk
supply for the family. The transportation of milk from the farm and its
distribution in the city constitute a costly process under present
methods, and this limits consumption. Furthermore, the ordering in advance
of a definite quantity each day means as a rule that only the milk
delivered will be consumed. A maximum amount of milk is thereby set, based
upon factors that may be alien to real needs of the family for this food
beverage. Using milk and dairy products freely from a near-by supply will
contribute much to the health of the entire family and especially of the
children. The term "family" is used in this case to denote two or three
adults and the same number of children.
Nutritional experts declare that milk is the most important of the
"protective" foods. Scientists agree that milk protects by providing in
the best form those necessities which are often lacking in other foods.
Milk supplies calcium so necessary for sound bones and teeth, phosphorus,
easily digested protein, butter fat and milk sugar. Most important of all
are the vitamins found in milk. Milk acquires these properties from the
cow, a living factory manufacturing milk from raw products, which are the
foods the cow eats--the pasture grasses and the cured hay, supplemented
with carefully blended grain rations. Nutrition authorities recommend at
least a quart of milk daily for every child and ample amounts for adults
as well.
_Sources of Milk Supply._--The country resident will have little
difficulty in securing an adequate supply of wholesome milk at low cost.
He may obtain it from a neighbor who is in the dairy business or he may
maintain a cow or two where the area is large enough to provide some
pasturage and where a building for stabling is available.
If the milk is bought from some near-by farm it is important that the
purchaser assure himself of the health of the cows producing the milk and
of the sanitary conditions surrounding production and handling. Quality in
milk is much more than cream content. Cleanliness in production and
handling is far more important, and this the country resident can
personally determine by occasional visits to the source of supply, an
advantage difficult for the urban resident to attain. Quality in milk is
not necessarily measured by the investment in the milking barn or the
showy external features of the producing and handling plant.
The essential factors in the production of clean, wholesome milk are
healthy, clean cows; healthy milkers; clean, sterile utensils; and
sanitary stables and premises. These conditions can be attained by any
careful dairyman and can be checked by any layman interested in securing a
dependable supply of safe milk. The purchaser should insist that the cows
be tested regularly under government supervision for tuberculosis and the
reactors to the test removed from the herd. This is important in all
circumstances and particularly so where the milk is consumed in the
unprocessed state by children.
_Producing Milk at Home._--It is entirely feasible for the rural family to
produce at home an ample supply of milk at low cost. To do this it is only
necessary to have stabling facilities for one or two cows and to have a
member of the family sufficiently interested to feed, care for and milk
the cow or cows. If this plan is to be followed the owner, if he is
inexperienced, should enlist the aid of a neighbor or friend in making the
purchase. The animal should be fresh, that is, just starting the period of
lactation, and preferably not more than four or five years of age. A cow
that is fresh can be judged as to ability to produce good milk from all
four quarters of the udder in adequate amount.
_Selecting the Family Cow._--The breed to be selected is not important,
except that for family use a cow of the so-called Channel breeds (Guernsey
or Jersey) is considered better adapted because of the higher butter fat
content of the milk as compared with the Holstein-Friesian, for example,
which usually produces a larger total quantity of milk with less butter
fat. It is not necessary to purchase a pure-bred animal of any of the
breeds, so far as milk production is concerned. On the other hand, a
pure-bred registered cow may often be purchased at moderate cost. The
owner will undoubtedly take greater pride in such an animal and her
offspring will have higher selling value.
In making a purchase the new owner should insist upon having a tuberculin
test chart delivered with the animal, and certification as to freedom from
contagious abortion (B. abortus) should also be obtained if possible. If
production records have been kept during the animal's previous lactation
periods, these should be secured, as they will definitely indicate
milk-producing ability over a considerable period of time. For family use
a cow that produces milk steadily in uniform amounts over eight or ten
months is far more desirable than one which produces a large volume
following freshening and then slumps off rapidly.
[Illustration: Desirable types of utensils for a small dairy. _A._ Crock
for temporary milk storage or for gravity separation of cream. _B._
Milking stool. _C._ Twenty-quart milk can and cover. _D._ Strainer. _E._
Stirrer. _F._ Circulating water cooler for freshly drawn milk (not
essential for a one- or two-cow dairy if other cooling practices are
followed). _G._ Sanitary covered-top milk pail. _H._ Measuring rod. _I._
Small churn for family butter making.]
_Importance of Pasture._--Pasturage plays so important a part in
economical milk production and in contributing to the health of the animal
that it is unwise to consider keeping one's own cow unless 3 or 4 acres of
pasture land per animal are available. When the cow is on pasture from May
until November no other roughage is required, provided of course the
grasses and clovers are plentiful. Plenty of water is essential, and if
this is not made available by a stream in the pasture, it will be
necessary to furnish drinking water three times daily.
_Stabling and Feeding._--From early November until May it will be
necessary to provide stabling facilities, roughage in the form of hay,
ensilage or beet pulp, and concentrated feed to keep the animal producing.
About 3 tons of good timothy-and-clover hay or alfalfa will be needed per
animal during these six months. Storage room will be needed in the
building for the hay and for the concentrated feed. A good practice is to
keep the cow in a box stall 12 by 14 feet in size. Ample bedding should be
provided, consisting of straw, wood shavings, shredded corn stalks, peat
moss or dried leaves. These will absorb the liquid manure and after such
use should be applied to the garden or other land areas for fertilizing
purposes.
The daily ration of the cow when stabled will consist of from 15 to 25
pounds of hay daily and 1 pound of concentrated feed for each 3-1/2 pounds
of milk being produced. (A quart of milk weighs about 2.2 pounds.) Milk
flow can be stimulated and the health of the cow conserved by feeding
moistened beet pulp, where silage is not available. This may be purchased
locally at the feed store, where the grain concentrate may also be
obtained. The latter can be bought in bags and a mixture analyzing about
20 per cent protein is recommended. When the cow is on pasture the grain
ration may be reduced by one-third or one-half, depending upon the quality
of the pasture available.
_Cost of Milk Production._--Where all of the feed mentioned above is
purchased, the cost per quart of the milk will approximate 3 cents,
excluding labor and overhead costs of buildings, etc. This cost can be
reduced if pasture does not have to be rented and if some of the other
food requirements are raised at home.
_Management._--Feeding the cow twice daily and milking at the same
interval will give the best results. Morning and evening are usually the
most convenient times for milking and the same hourly routine should be
observed daily. Feeding the grain ration after milking is desirable. A
good practice is to furnish hay and beet pulp between milkings.
To insure cleanliness of the milk, the udder and teats may be wiped with a
damp cloth before milking. Flanks and the udder should be clipped of hair,
thus facilitating a clean condition of the animal at all times. Soiled
bedding should be removed and clean material substituted as required.
The normal cow should produce an average of 10 quarts of milk daily over a
period of ten months. In the remaining two months the cow will not be
producing milk but will be resting and building up body reserves for the
coming period of lactation. The cow should be bred about nine months
before it is desired to have her bear a calf. The time of year when such
freshening should occur is not important, although either spring or fall
months are considered best, to avoid weather and temperature extremes at
the critical calving period. Under this plan it will be noted that the
family will not have milk from home sources for two months during the
year. The alternative is to have two cows, one freshening in April and the
other in October, ensuring a continuous supply, or to purchase milk during
the "dry" period.
_Utilizing a Large Supply of Milk._--The urban consumer of milk accustomed
to 1 or 2 quarts daily may wonder how an average of 10 quarts or more per
day can be utilized. Plenty of uses will be found for the product. Milk
will be used more often as a beverage; cream will be found delightful in
many ways, in the form of butter and home-made ice cream, for example; and
cheeses will provide an outlet for surplus whole or skimmed milk. Milk of
good quality can be disposed of readily to neighbors. If two families own
one cow each, a plan may be worked out for furnishing each other with milk
when one cow or the other is not producing. Wherever facilities are
available and there is a willingness to care for a family cow or two, the
availability of large amounts of milk will compensate for the trouble and
bring health and vigor to the rural family.
_The Goat as a Source of Milk Supply._--The milk goat is especially useful
to those who desire a smaller quantity of milk than that produced by a cow
and where the space is inadequate for keeping a larger milk-producing
animal. In composition, goat's milk closely resembles that of the cow, the
butter fat ranging from 3.2 per cent to 4.4 per cent with total solids of
nearly 12 per cent. The average production of a good milk goat is about 2
quarts of milk daily, sufficient for many a family. The milk is pure
white in color and the cream rises very slowly. If goat's milk is properly
produced and handled, the bad odor, associated with the animal in the
public mind, should not be present. Keeping dirt or hair out of the milk
when it is being drawn, and clean quarters, are essential in eliminating
odor in the milk. It has been proved that goat's milk is especially
valuable for children and invalids and exceeds cow's milk in ease of
digestibility.
Goats are in their prime at about five years of age, but will continue to
produce milk for several years after that. They should be bred twice a
year. The usual number of kids is two, although occasionally four are born
at one time. The period between breeding and giving birth is about five
months. Goats may be successfully fed with the same rations as the dairy
cow. Although they consume only about one-seventh as much feed as the cow,
the common impression that the goat can produce milk on practically no
feed is erroneous. A ration for winter feeding, suggested by the United
States Department of Agriculture, consists of 2 pounds of alfalfa or
clover hay, 1-1/2 pounds of silage or roots and from 1 to 2 pounds of a
concentrated grain ration, composed of 100 pounds of corn, 100 pounds of
oats, 50 pounds of bran and 25 pounds of linseed meal. In the summer when
pasture is available they should be fed 1 to 1-1/2 pounds of the grain
mixture. Data from experiment stations indicate that the annual feed cost
of a milk goat is about $11 and the feed cost per quart of milk produced,
about 1-1/2 cents.
Good milk goats bring good prices and in most instances will cost almost
as much as a cow. They are much more prolific, however, permitting more
rapid additions and offering greater revenue from the sales of young
animals, wherever there is a market for them. The two principal breeds are
the Toggenburg and the Saanen, both originating in Switzerland, and the
Spanish Maltese whose original home was in the island of Malta. Goats are
thoroughly domesticated, are contented with a small grazing area and may
be easily handled. They are subject to stomach worms, indicated by loss of
flesh and weakness, and to Malta fever, which can be transmitted to man,
in whom it is evidenced by recurring high temperatures. The former can be
controlled by using, as a drench, a copper sulfate solution of 1 ounce to
3 quarts of water. Where the latter trouble is present the milk should be
pasteurized or scalded before it is consumed. As an economical source of
easily digested milk, the goat is recommended, especially to those
families with rather small acreage. They can make the most of poorer
pasturage, are clean in habits and docile.
_Do's_
Use milk freely for its food value to every member of the family.
Make sure of the quality of the milk purchased.
Acquiring a family cow is the best and cheapest source of an adequate milk
supply.
Management of the right kind will make the family cow an invaluable asset.
Learn to use surplus milk in nutritious and palatable ways.
Determine the possibilities of securing from the goat an adequate milk
supply for a small family.
_Don'ts_
Don't use canned milk except as supplement to liberal, fresh supply.
Don't overlook the need of pasturage for economical milk production.
Don't supply family with milk of doubtful sanitary quality.
Don't neglect to have a veterinarian make health tests of the cow or
goat.
_Chapter_ XII
MARKETING FARM PRODUCTS
The distribution of farm products on an efficient basis is one of the most
difficult problems in agriculture. Because of the demand of the consumer
for small quantities of products at each purchase, the breaking up of
wholesale packages, involving additional labor and containers and the
elimination of unfit specimens, increases handling costs and delays the
arrival of the product from the farm to the consumer. In recent years the
producer has sought various means of eliminating some of these costs of
distribution so that he could get a larger share of the consumer's dollar,
and the consumer has welcomed the opportunity of buying products direct
from the producer.
Unquestionably, one of the best means of selling farm commodities is
through the medium of roadside markets that have now become so common
along the principal highways of the country. These range in type from the
display of a few baskets of farm commodities on the ground or on a table,
with sales of $100 a year or less, to those of a more pretentious nature
in which buildings and equipment are erected suitable to the purpose. That
there are great possibilities of developing a successful business in
selling products in this manner is evidenced by some of the more elaborate
markets, transacting an annual business of $30,000 or more. In most cases
these have been developed from small beginnings and the facilities have
increased as the good reputation of the market has spread.
_Advantages of Roadside Marketing._--From the standpoint of the producer
or the operator of the roadside stand, there are certain advantages that
have contributed to the growth of the movement. For example, there is no
expense or time involved in delivering the products to a distant market,
since the produce is sold by a member of the household, or by the
operator's employees in the larger types of markets. It is possible
through such a market to build up a clientele of buyers who will return
for further purchases. They will tell their friends about the good
quality, dependable produce which they have been able to purchase at some
particular stand. Furthermore, a wide variety of products can be sold in
this way at one stand, which might have to be segregated and shipped to
different markets if some other method of marketing were being followed.
This would add considerably to the expense of selling, especially where
the volume of each commodity is small. Furthermore, in such a method of
selling, the producer comes in direct contact with the consumer. Ideas are
exchanged, mutual confidence is developed and both should share
financially in the advantages accruing from eliminating ordinary means of
distribution.
_Problems in Roadside Marketing._--On the other hand, there are certain
disadvantages of roadside selling which operate against successful
merchandising in such a manner. These should be fully considered in
deciding how the surplus farm products are to be disposed of. Due to the
difficulty experienced by many potential buyers in getting satisfactory
produce, they have become discouraged and will often drive by all roadside
markets rather than take a chance on buying commodities that may be
misrepresented. Naturally, this works against the development of adequate
business and makes it necessary for the individual to spend considerable
time and effort in selling himself and his market to the public and in
creating confidence and good will.
There is necessarily some loss due to depreciation in the quality of
perishable commodities. In many cases it is necessary to expose these
commodities to the sun and weather, and if they are not sold promptly
they will not long maintain the standard of quality which the operator
must have identified with his market. The operator has no knowledge of the
number of customers he will have when he displays his products, nor does
he know the whims of the individuals who may patronize his market that
day. To avoid the losses resulting from unsold products it is desirable to
have some other outlet which will absorb unused quantities, even though
the price is not so good as would be secured from ordinary sales at the
market. Many of the commodities can be delivered to some wholesale market
to be sold for what they will bring. Another outlet that is available is
through canning or preserving the commodities and selling them later in
the season under the label carried by the roadside stand.
It should be borne in mind that the business of operating a roadside
market has its own peculiar problems and success in it depends upon
following good merchandising principles, to which are added those finer
points which pertain to direct selling. The attitude of the public must be
studied and plans for promoting sales must be adopted which will result in
attracting and holding customers. Beyond doubt, the two most important
factors in the operation of a successful roadside market are
attractiveness of the stand itself and the quality of the products that
are offered for sale.
_Plans for a Roadside Market._--A roadside market need not be expensive to
be attractive. The thought motivating the whole project should be to
create in the buyer's mind a farm scene, laying emphasis upon such factors
as are easily associated in the public mind with farming. These include
neatness of the establishment, cleanliness and honesty in every phase of
the operation. One should not undertake to run a roadside market in
competition, so far as appearance goes, with the corner grocery store in
the city. It should have an individuality of its own and be _of_ the
country as well as _in_ the country.
The location of the market has a great deal to do with its attractiveness.
It is well to locate it a short distance from the house, so that it stands
out as a market, and it should be placed back from the highway to permit
motorists to drive off the highway in making stops for purchases. In some
states, highway regulations require that such stands be located far enough
from the highway to permit all four wheels of a standing vehicle to be off
the road surface. If the stand can be located under some good shade trees,
that in itself constitutes an invitation to the sun-blinded traveler to
stop and partake of the commodities offered for sale.
[Illustration: A wayside market that meets every need and attracts
buyers.]
So far as the design of the market itself is concerned, there are endless
opportunities for one's genius to be brought into operation. It should be
borne in mind that, while there are certain standard requirements in the
way of display shelves and facilities for keeping reserve stocks
immediately available, as well as a safe container for funds, originality
in design attracts attention. Here again, the design should not be
obtrusive, but one that blends with the atmosphere of the place where the
stand is set up. It must convey the impression that the owner of the
property is himself the operator of the stand and has transferred to the
stand the same interest which is manifested in his home and its immediate
surroundings.