Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-08-12
Ecttcr Eeef Cattle.

The great want Of the country il
not for more, but for better, cattle.
Year after year, our farmers and
stock.growers have been forcing upon
the market class of cattle that are
unworthy the name of beet cattle.
No steer should ever be put upon the
market, until every pound Of fat has
been laid on that his carcass is capa-
BILE of receiving and no attempt
should be made ordinarily, to fatten
a steer unit he is past four, and in
most cases past five, years old. 1t
would be better for the producer TO
bold his steers back until their frames
come to maturity by reasonof age, at
which time the proportion between
flesh and tare is less than at any
previous time. 1T would also be
better for the consumer, because The
flesh is more firm and tender, and
there is less waste.
A few hints about raising stock
cattle may not be out OF place. 1t Is
well for the farmer to have some
settled plan, as to wba. his farm
shall produce. If he practices a
mixed husbandry. he should settle
how many acres of corn, wheat, oats,
rye, barley, potatoes, etc, he will
raise how many cows he vii! keep;
horses, sheep, poultry, etc., his farm
will support. We say all these
things sho.ld be settled, and there
is more danger of understanding the
farm than over-stocking it; but,
having established the capacity of the
farm, then the farmer should set to
work to stock it up to its fullest ca
pacity. Beef cattle naturally take
the lead. To obtain these, Of the
best quality, the farmer should raise
them. Ike should keep thorough
bred bull, and gradually work his
herd Of COWS up to high standard.
From the calves select such num-
Der as bid fair to make first class
cattle; castrate early-before they
are a month old, and sooner, if posi-
bic. A little extra feed and corn
is not thrown away upon calf
Give calves warm shelter, through
their first Winter especially. The
Spring that your calves come three
Years old, is the time to assert them.
II there are any rough and ragged
ones, the better plan is to put them
in as grass cattle; they rarely bring
the best results as stall fed cattle.
What heifers you have more than
. >, , =. lock OF
mi k COWS, may be thrown N with
your stock OF rough steers. You
have then, if your Judgment is good
in asserting, lot Of tirst-class steers,
that go off the grass the Fall they
are three ye2rs old or past, in fine
condition-large, smooth, good franz
ed fellows, from which you can rca-
sonably expect the very best results
in stall feeding. The result is, tina,
when you come TO sell those cattle
in the Spring, you are sure of some
thing over the market peterborough
to pay for all your extra trouble;
and besides, you have thu satistacli.n
OF knowing that you have sold a lot
of first-class beet.
No small part OF your success will
depend upon the bull You use He
should not only be OF pure blood, but
he should have the shape and form
that mark him pre.eminently as an
animal for the SHAMELESS. The farmer
who follows up some snch course as
this, can calculate with some certain
ty upon his annual income. Care
must be taken in the matter Of TODD.
No prudent farmer, who follows this
or some similar course, will depend
wholly upon his corn crop to FURNISH
all, or the principal part, of the food
for his stock. Barley and rye, po-
tatoes, ,nangel wurzel. turnips, car
rots, hungarian grass, and clover,
should all be brought in as aljavant~,
making the profits Of feeding greater,
and the failure of corn crop matter
Of less consequence.
1t our farmers would become
wealthy, some such plan as this mast
be adopted. A man rarely reaches
higher than the mark; therefore,
place the mark high.-hNnsas FIR
1ner.