BSCBA - USA 1920-1929
"The Brown Swiss Bulletin Arrives"
Roger's Note: Another significant long-ranging event occurred in
July 1922, with the initial publication of the Association’s breed magazine,
The Brown Swiss Bulletin. The Bulletin has been published
continuously since then, with this current issue being Number 12 of
Volume 83. Initially, the Association fiscal year was July 1 to June
30, and thus Bulletin issues were so numbered. When the fiscal year
was changed to a calendar-year basis in 1979, the numbering of the
Bulletin issues and volumes were also changed.
“To the Breeders of Brown Swiss - With this issue, the
Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders’ Association is launching a new endeavor
- The Brown Swiss Bulletin.” That was the introduction to the very
first issue of the breed’s magazine. Previously each Association member
received a monthly report of registrations and transfers. The
Bulletin included those listings and new interesting and instructive
material conerning Brown Swiss cattle and their breeders. Ira Inman
was Secretary-Treasurer and the initial Editor.
Hawthorne Dairy Maid 6753 graced the cover of the first
issue as the New Grand Champion cow in the Register of Production.
She produced a record of 22,622.6 pounds of milk and 927.23 pounds
of fat in a year. Dairy Maid was owned by Samuel Insull of Chicago
and housed at Hawthorne Farm, Libertyville, IL. A letter from
President A. E. Bower encouraged breeders to test and stated the
Association would offer a $25 prize for the cow producing the most
butterfat during the year in each of five classes for yearly records
(365d) and four classes for 10-month tests (305d).
The first advertisement in the Bulletin occurred in the
August 1922 issue, with the following taking ads: Jubilee Farm,
Peoria, IL; Elmwood Farms, Sebewaing, MI; & Illinois Brown Swiss
Association.
In November 1922, an article was reprinted from Hoard’s
Dairyman. The article recognizes the oldest breeder of Brown Swiss
cattle. The opening paragraph begins: “Forty-five years, consecutively,
as a devotee of Brown Swiss cattle is a record that entitles George
W. Harris of Connecticut to the distinction of being the oldest breeder
of this type of dairy animals in the U.S.”
The February 1923 cover was entitled “A Home, A Barn, &
A Herd”. That farm scene was the farm of Jacob Voegeli of Monticello,
WI, who was among the oldest breeders having been in the business
35 years. In June 1924, their 2-year-old cow Mable Wiess 12989 set a
2-year-old record of 637.82 lbs. of fat.
In March 1924, Believe 4245 became the new Champion of
the Breed. Believe, owned by F. P. Minette & Son, Gopher Prairie, MN,
completed an official record of 25,847.8 milk & 1002.62 fat. She was
also the champion producer over 12 years of age for all dairy breeds
in America.
The December 1925 issue of The National Geographic
Magazine was devoted to “The Taurine World: Cattle and Their Place
in the Human Scheme - Wild Types and Modern Breeds of Many
Lands” and featured 20 full-color reproductions of oil paintings of the
cattle of the world by Edward H. Miner. Hawthorne Dairy Maid is featured
as the Brown Swiss painting. You can see this painting hanging
at the national office.
Rounding out the 20’s with a bang was a new Brown Swiss
world record, as Swiss Valley Girl 10th 7887 produced over 1100 lbs.
butterfat. Owned by the Hull Bros. Company, Painesville, OH, her
record of 1106.33 lbs fat surpassed the previous record holder, June’s
College Girl 11427 by 44 pounds. Her milk record of 27,513.6 was also
the highest ever recorded at the Brown Swiss office. This record was
made at 12 years 4 months of age. Much of the credit for the record
of Swiss Valley Girl 10th goes to Vernon Hull, nephew of L. E. Hull,
her owner, who had charge of the cow the entire time of her test.