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Why
do so many fail in the great race of life? Men all around us with strong
powerful bodies, - capable - and often willing to perform an immense amount
of labor, and yet utterly fail to achieve anything valuable, and are never
noted for anything but their failures. Why? They do not think. And by this
I do not mean, that they have no thoughts. They do think indeed! - but
it is in a very idle-lazy sort of a way letting their mind run upon those
things the most agreeable to themselves - involving the least possible
labor! - without discipline, and without attaining any worthy or useful
results.
But
that Careful thought which insures success is of a very different character.
- It involves hard persistent labor of the brain. And ignores personal
ease and gratification. - Is a tangible act of judgment and is used as
a means to attain a desired end. The man who adopts this latter habit of
thought is slow to adopt new theories - never takes any man's "think so"
or "say so" and adopts it as his own theory, simply because someone else
has thought so or "said so". But if any thing is presented - or is suggested
to his mind - it is grappled with with the strength of a giant - he brings
careful persistent thought to bear upon it, views it from every possible
standpoint, weights it in all its parts, and finally accepts or rejects
it according as he finds it worthy or unworthy.
This to
be sure involves hard work but it pays because it insures success. And
I venture the assertion that ultimate failure will not - nay cannot occur
to that man who adopts as a life principle this untiring habit of thought.
Perhaps some one will ask,- what has all this to do with the dairy? I answer,
much, every way! There is perhaps no occupation that a man pursues where
this habit of careful thought is brought in requisition every day and many
times a day, as in dairying. From the time that the feed is dealt out that
is (in prospect) to make the future product to the time that it comes upon
the table of the consumer - beautiful and perfect. - Careful thought should
attend every step and enter into every operation and from the time that
the heifer calf is dropped in its weakness until it has arrived at the
fullness of the stature of perfect cow hood requires thoughtful care daily.
And
right here, Mr. President, permit me to diverge somewhat from my theme
and say a few words upon dairy stock and its management. When a heifer
calf comes - give it a careful thoughtful looking over with a view to the
future. Take into consideration its parentage on both sides. And its own
personal appearance as it presents its good and bad points, and decide
whether it will be likely to make an extra cow - one that will pay for
rearing, if it will go to work at once to develop its best possible future.
If not, kill it at once.
I
will
here pass over much that I would like to say with regard to selecting and
rearing heifers from calf hood up, and say a word upon the important question,
- How should we feed our cows to insure the best paying results? In answering
this question, I shall not attempt to go into particulars, but only make
a few suggestions, and leave particulars to be arranged by the good judgment
of the owners. I think much will depend upon the relative value of meal
(or its equivalents) and dairy products. After cows have been well wintered,
and by this I mean in such a way that they shall be in good condition,
their coats sheen and glossy (and their hides lift some distance from their
ribs by something softer than bone), no matter how it is done - whether
by early cut hay - roots or cornmeal. Then if you have a pasture of virgin
soil, newly cleared with white clover nearly to their eyes - they will
need but little else to secure satisfactory results. But if your pasture
consists of old worn out mowing fields, with herbage scant in quantity
and poor in quality, they must have meal or its equivalent - nothing into
nothing produces nothing and the operation of taking something from nothing
cannot be performed.
In
connection with this question of feed, there is one fact that we should
never lose sight of. What measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you
again - pressed down shaken together - running over shall these cows heap
into your bosoms. Freely ye have received, freely give. Between the intelligent
thoughtful farmer and all his dairy stock there exists a good understanding
amounting almost to a tender affection. They always meet like friends.
He watches over all that pertains to their comfort with careful solicitude.
And, I hold that anyone that will beat or mistreat one of those noble creatures
is not worthy the name of a man. The man or woman who would attain any
worthy results in dairying must be willing to learn. - must not assume
that they are perfect themselves. Just here lies the procuring cause of
so many failures. We feel too much that we know it all. The man or woman
that have been in the dairy business for 25 years, must be a very dull
scholar not to have learned a great deal worth knowing about the business.
But he that thinks that he has learned all worth knowing is duller yet.
Dairymen
that are milking from 3 to 5 hundred pounds from a cow and producing an
article that is sought after - commanding 10 to 20 cents per lb. more than
their neighbors have a right to feel that they have a right to a good degree
of perfection , yet, these are not the ones that count themselves perfect,
but are still seeking after new truth - careful, thoughtful learners. If
anyone does not succeed in the dairy business - there is always a reason
why! It is his or her duty by careful thought to ferret out the "why" and
correct it. In order to do this, one must divest themselves of all partiality
for self and must subject themselves to a most rigid self examination -
searching their own theories and practices "as with a lighted candle" constantly
comparing them with others, ..successful and competent results arising
from each.
It
has been said that "eternal vigilance is the price of liberty". May it
not as truly be said, "Eternal vigilance is the price of success in dairying."
I have thus hastily glanced at a few thoughts connected with this subject.
I do not come before you as one having attained, but this one thing, I
do, forgetting the things that are behind, I press forward toward the prize
of a bigger success in dairying.
Speech given
to the Vermont Dairyman's Association
About 1930
East Montpelier
Submitted by:
Susan
Winters Smith
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