“The demand for dairy products in the South has become enormous, and inasmuch as the markets have not usually been supplied with fresh products, the trade does not demand absolutely first-class articles, although the prices are comparatively very high.

"With the highly improved Southern farms, the question of cheap feed is settled, for there is probably no section of America that can produce cheaper feed. Especially is the great variety of legumes that thrive in the South worthy of notice, and these crops, with cotton seed incal, settle the question of protein. "While very little attention has been given to the development of the Southern pastures, it is demonstrated on farms throughout the South that an unexcelled pasture can be maintained for at least eight months in the year.

"The old Southern plantation with its haphazard system is being gradually transformed into a well-organized and diversified farm, and in the transformation dairying promises to be one of the most potent factors. It will occupy a portion of the cotton farms, and even if it is conducted in such a way that the dairy itself is not profitable, it will make the farm fertile and therefore profitable in other lines.

THE CLEMSON DAIRY HERD).

"While the Southern dairyman, therefore, will have some difficulties that are not found in the northern sections of the country, he also has many advantages over the Northern dairyman in the milder climate, cheaper cost of buildings, the greater variety of forage crops, and good markets. The South will always be a great cotton country, but it will some day be also a great dairy country." What the Federal experts say of the general Southern situation is preeminently true of South Carolina. There are rare opportunities in this State for dairying. Bermuda grass meadows grow luxuriantly, and no better grazing can be found for the dairy cow.

It has been only a few years ago that the Department of Agriculture assisted a Pittsburg, Pa., man in obtaining a good farm at a cheap price, suitable for dairying, near Aiken. He has developed this place wonderfully, as a page of illustrations show, and no amount of money could now purchase the place. The several hundred head of cattle are handled each day by German dairy people brought to South Carolina for the purpose.

Even now dairymen from elsewhere are here contemplating the establishment of dairy depots in the principal cities after the Eastern and English systems, and the local market demands warrant such enterprise.

Local dairymen are beginning to realize the necessity for taking advantage of their opportunity, and many of them have greatly improved their methods and

SCENES FROM THE PLACE OF A PITTSBURG MAN WHO BOUGHT 1,300 ACRES OF LAND IN AIKEN COUNTY A FEW DAYS AGO. I, TYPE OF LABORERS' HOUSES; 2, THE DAIRY HOUSE; 3, THE DAIRY BARN; 4, THE overseer's reSIDENCE

EXCELLENT TYTE OF DAIRY COW.

plants.

They

are keeping good stock, taking good care in the preparation of the milk and butter that they are sending to market, and are step by step, though unconsciously, leading to a high development of an industry that means much to the agricultural industry of the State.

Recently an earnest and progressive South Carolinian has determined, and arranged for under the direction of the Federal Government, to erect and operate what he proposes to make the most modern of all dairy barns in the United States, and to operate the most perfect dairy in the coun.try. The State Department of Agriculture has secured for him as his manager a thoroughly trained Massachusetts

dairyman, and already

FANCY'S JEWEL—A. G. C. C., NO. 11084,

there are on the place Tested for seven days and made twenty-one pounds of well worked, experienced Belgian unsalted butter on a daily ration of three quarts of wheat bran, dairy families. This one quart of cotton seed meal, three quarts of ground oats and grass. Property of John G. Mobley, LaGrange Stock Farm, Winnsboro, South Carolina.

A HOLSTEIN DAIRY COW.

experiment, if successful, should lead to a rapid development of the dairying industry in South Carolina.

In regard to the present status of this industry, it is regretted that there are no statistics as to the amount of butter brought into the State annually; the "importations" come from many sources and through many channels. The Columbia distributing plant of the Armours sells in Columbia annually 28,oco pounds of butter at from 25 to 30 cents a pound and about 5,000 pounds

of cheese. This concern has another plant at Charleston and several at border points. This gives a fair basis upon which to calculate the sales of Swift, Cudahy, and others. The eleven cheese factories we now have make an excellent product, but every now and then they have serious troubles that would be trifles to experts. These experiences of the pioneers deter others from going into cheese manufacturing.

A GUERNSEY DAIRY BULL,

was only 8.150.437 pounds, of which only 1.103.637 pounds were sold; out of the 44031.528 gallons of milk only 1,186.045 gallons were sold: 1.081 pounds of cheese were produced and only 800 pounds sold.

The present condition of this industry in South Carolina is amply shown by the accompanying tables. Its possibilities are unlimited. With South Carolina's capacity for the production of forage crops in nine months of the year. the chances for finan

On January 1, 1905. South Carolina had only 109.704 milch cows on her farms, these cows being worth $2.703.107. On June 1, 1900, on 154913 farms, there were 122.857 cows, and 81,041 reported dairy cows upon them. At the same time we had in all South Carolina only 442 dairy farms, owning 3.827 dairy cows. Of course, there are more now, but the increase has not been a noteworthy one.

In 1899 the total value of all the dairy products in South Carolina (on all farms) was $3.232.725, of which $2,890.342 was consumed on the farms. The butter production

THE TYPICAL DAIRY COW.

cial success are likewise not to be measured at a glance. It only remains for the wide-awake dairyman to take advantage of opportunities open to him.

At the South Carolina Experiment Station in 1906 ten cows were fed a ration consisting exclusively of cotton seed meal and a good quality of corn silage for a period of over five months with very satisfactory results. The cows yielded more milk and butter fat than during any corresponding period in previous years. No bad effects were observed even when the meal and silage were fed

separately. It is, therefore, believed that cotton seed meal to the extent of five to six pounds per cow daily and well-matured corn silage constitute an excellent ration for milch cows. The good results obtained in feeding cotton seed meal and silage are attributed in a large measure to the fact that the silage was made from well-matured, well-eared corn.

CHEESE FACTORY IN NEWBERRY.

4-CHEESEMAKING

Cheesemaking in South Carolina has been, up to a few years ago, a practically unknown industry, but since 1902 marked headway has been made in this branch of agriculture. It is noteworthy that, though the industry is so young, there are already eleven small cheese factories in operation in different portions of the State, and there is every promise of a most rapid and substantial growth of the industry. The milk of Bermuda-grass-grazed cattle has been found specially adapted to cheesemaking, and the quality of the cheese put forth is pronounced by many to be very much the same as the Swiss cheeses. The State Department of Agriculture has aided and stimulated the development of this industry in every way possible, and at this time these efforts are being supplemented by efforts of the United States Government.

In the last (1906) Year Book of the United States Department of Agriculture appears the following bearing upon this industry and the Federal Government's share in its development:

"The South presents many problems in dairying peculiar to that section. At present the South is supplied with dairy products almost entirely from Northern States. Condensed milk, cream, and butter, and practically all the cheese consumed, are from the North, while the Southern farmer devotes practically his whole attention to raising cotton. This cultivation of cotton upon the same fields year after year rapidly exhausts the soil, which must be restored by the use of commercial fertilizers at high prices. The great need of all this section is live stock; and dairy cattle should be among the first live stock introduced. The South can produce greater quantities of feed at less cost than any other section of our country, but the lack of knowledge regarding the handling, care and feeding of dairy stock and the kinds of crops to grow is the great drawback and one with which the Dairy Division should be in a position to cope, both by sending its own men directly to the farms and by cooperation with the State experiment stations and State dairy organizations.

"To study these questions, B. H. Rawl, dairyman at the Clemson Agricultural College, South Carolina, has been appointed as an expert. His work thus far has been to travel from point to point, studying the field and lending what encouragement he can to those who desire to go into dairying. Mr. Rawl has met with an enthusiastic reception, and he should be given several assistants, as hundreds of farmers have already shown themselves anxious for information and guidance. At Easley, S. C., a number of men have organized a cheese factory, and through the efforts of Mr. Rawl have been induced to build silos. Great interest is taken in the work by other dairymen in the South, many having indicated a desire to go to Easley and learn the methods, and it is expected to make this an objective center for dairy information. The establishment of other similar points for the diffusion of information in all the States would undoubtedly be attended with good results."

For the starting of this industry in South Carolina much credit is due C. G. Voight, a native of Illinois, who came here in 1902 to make his home in South Carolina. In that year he organized a cheese factory in Easley in Pickens County. The company was known as the Easley Creamery Company. The factory used 300 gallons of milk per day. The first milk was received on May 27,