Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women - Wise Acres Yearbook (Ambler, PA)

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Our Jersey Herd Martha Walter Bryant To the left of our gardens and down a little slope we find an old stone barn. Red sheds are attached to both sides, and there is one at the end. A quaint little house is built away to the right, which serves as a milk house. This little group of so-called barns, sheds and quaint house is enclosed by a yard most naturally called a barn yard. It is not the group of buildings that I am particularly interested in, but the Jersey cows that are housed, fed and cared for inside. First I want to give credit to Financial’s Fairy Pet Martha. Martha is the mother of four daughters in our herd. She is six years old, and can well boast of her record during the past nine months that she has been fresh. We owe the fact to Martha that her good qualities have been passed on to her daughters. Fauvic’s Fairy Fern, Martha’s eldest daughter, is now the mother of the future sire of our herd—Fauvic’s Gamboge Trinity—sired by Sibil’s Gamboge Trinity. Fern is making a record which assures us that we have been wise in choosing her son for the herd sire. Fauvic’s Fern Maid Marion, full sister of Fern, has been fresh since April 22, 1928. This being her first year, she has not scored as her mother and sister, but is giving credit to her age. Raleigh’s Good Queen Bess and Lady Jane Grey are two younger daughters of Martha. We hope to have them step into the same high place that their mother and sisters occupy. We have another individual—in our herd—Golden Maid’s Gala Primrose, whose record has caught our eye:

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Wise-Acres •♦«■■■ ■ - • —:gf- the soil Minimalkaline (pH 7.0—8.0). Circumneutral is the term generally applied to the two latter groups. Some of the loveliest flowers belong to group C. The moccasin flower (Cypripedium acaule) may be found either in hilly situations among dry pine needles, or in bogs among sphagnum moss. Linnaea borealis has fragile white flowers which are lined with pink. It is quite a hardy little plant, and forms a dainty contrast to its more robust looking neighbors. Iris verna, a dwarf species, is very attractive, and takes a sandy soil mixed with pine needles and oak leaves. Most wild flowers belong to group B., but only a few can be mentioned here. Viola pedata is a dainty little flower with its two upper petals lavender and three lower ones white in the bicolor form, while the type is solid lavender. Clintonia borealis has lovely blue berries, but unfortunately it is rather difficult to transplant. It likes moist places best. Most azaleas do well, and they always give a bright touch, enlivening the scene with their flowers in spring, while their foliage remains a glossy green until the fall. If by any chance a stream runs through the spot you are planting, the pink chelone (Chelone lyoni) or possibly the white one (Chelone r labra) would be an addition, as they bloom quite late, during August and September. And last, but far from least, if the Habenaria funbriata could be induced to grow you would have a treat. The flower spike varies from four to seven inches in length, and it is about two inches through. It is a lovely delicate purple which may vary from a very deep tone to a milky white. It is sweet scented, and on coming upon them suddenly one’s breath is fairly taken away, so perfect is their loveliness. One of the few wild flowers belonging to group A is Trillium (jrandiflorum. It is a lovely spring flower well worth cultivating. These are only a few of the plants which may brighten your garden if you have the patience and love to humor each one’s individual needs. € 20 B

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Wise-Acres •♦4SI YEAR’S RECORD (Age 10) Lbs. Milk Lbs. Fat Average (' ) Test Jan. 16-Feb. 1 532.9 32.5 6.1 February 1118.8 68.2 6.1 March ... 1136.3 63.6 5.6 April 1002.9 61.1 6.1 May . . 1062.5 57.3 5.4 June 954.6 55.3 5.8 July 780.1 42.9 5.5 August 664.0 36.5 5.5 September 539.1 34.0 6.3 October 581.4 37.8 6.5 November 470.9 31.0 6.6 December 426.4 27.7 6.5 Total 9269.9 547.9 6.0 Besides this record, Primrose has given us two daughters, Fauvic’s Noble Flo, sired by Fauvic’s Fern Noble, and Tinker Bell, sired by You’ll Do’s Young Count. Golden Tycoon’s Wonderheart was fresh January 21, 1929. She has started her record for the year with a 5' butterfat test. Wonder-heart has given us Heart of Gold, sired by You’ll Do’s Young Count. This offspring will be fresh in the fall, being bred to Sybil’s Gamboge Trinity. For the most part we raise our own feed. Corn and oats are sown on the farm and ground to feed the Jerseys. Cottonseed oil meal, linseed oil meal and gluten feed are bought to make the following ration: 300 lbs. corn 200 lbs. oats 200 lbs. cottonseed oil meal 100 lbs. linseed oil meal 100 lbs. gluten feed The herd is not large enough to make it profitable to run a silo, so mangels are planted every spring to supply the winter succulent. In summer the cows are turned on pasture. There is always a small acreage planted to corn, oats and field peas to be fed green to the cows to give a change from the summer dry condition of a pasture. Now that we know the correct name and the merits of each cow, and are fully aware that feed is both purchased and produced on the farm for their welfare, let us follow them through one day’s program and see what happens: Cf 22