Improving Dairy Cows in Watauga County, March 6, 1919

From the editorial page of the Watauga Democrat, Boone and Watauga County, N.C., Thursday, March 6, 1919.

Holsteins for Watauga

Mr. J.B. Horton of Vilas will leave for Wisconsin the later part of this month, where from the famous herds of Holstein cattle in that State, he will select 60 head of choice yearling heifers which will be paid for by the stock-holders in the Cove Creek and New River cheese factories.

This particular strain of cattle is considered the best as milk producers and, as cheese making is one of Watauga’s chief industries, the patrons of the factories named, at least, are determined to breed up their herds to perfection. Watauga now boasts of a cheese factory with the greatest output of any south of Philadelphia, which is the Cove Creek Co-Operative, and it might yet be termed in its infancy. Last year this plant alone paid out to its patrons for milk in round numbers $15,000, which, we are told, was farm more than the price of the cattle put on the beef market from the same section during the past year. Mr. Asa Wilson of the Silverstone factory has a thoroughbred herd of Holsteins and Mr. John Sherrill of Beaver Dam also has a number added to his herd, and with this bunch of select Holsteins being imported into Watauga, it will add much to this cattle-raising industry, as well as dairying purposes, for both of which our county is now famous.