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.