National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-08-25
Raising Stock.


figures Of Illinois stock raising az fol-
lows: The first large farmer that l
found is s. II. Elliott He came to Ed
gar county, about the year 1850, and
made cash payment OF S2,0oo on 800
acres in the edge of the timber; the
balance he was to pay in one and two
years. The price per acre was then
about $40. He planted corn, fed it to
the hogs, and sold pork. This was the
simple but effective system that he fol.
lowed for Is years. 1t enabled him to
meet his payments, to fence and ditch
his place, to build good house and
large out-houses. Then in 1868 he
changed his stock and became interest
ed in mules. Now he feeds $50 OF these
animals When mule is weaned he
will give $50 FOR 80 inches in height He
does not buy mules that are less than
50 inches at weaving, for these he can
feed and care for till they are l6 hands
high, and then they are worth from $l25
to $175 each. It takes about eighteen
months and some $40 worth of hay and
oats to produce this growth. That is to
say, spend $50 for your mule colt and $50
for his keeping, and you have in lS
months time an article worth $3.50
Feeding as he now does $50, and in q
way TO clear 800 on each animal, l did
not think it worth the while to ask how
he likes prairie farming. He has no
idea of selling but if he had, it would
be of no use to offer him less than $50
an acre. If he were to sell it would be
because he could take that $40, 600 and
go to the western margin of this great
prairie and farm on 5000 acres as he
now farms on 500. A mile and half
beyond Elliott lives John Arthur. be
came in 1852, gave SO an acre, sold
hogs and cattle and bought land till he
now owns 1000 acres He brought
about So, 900 into the county, and is now
worth $4,000 and that increase was
nearly all realized between 1852 and
1863. His eight years, industry and
management have increased his invest
ment MirtyJoM.
Mr.. Hunter came here 30 years ago,
and had Just dollar and a half in his
pocket. He entered 100 acres and SOW
ed it with Winter wheat. When he sold
that wheat he did not buy fine saddle
horse nor n pair of red-topped boots,
but land. Some of the time prices were
absolutely sickening-wheat so, hogs
cent and quarter, corn 10 but he kept
right on, selling at those figures and buy
ing land Then he went more into
stock, giving say, $40 in the Fall for a
Spring calf, feeding it two Winters and
one Summer, and selling at $50 and S35.
Now he owns 1900 acres, worth $50 an
acre, and is worth one quarter of a mil
lion.
Beef is corn-fed in rough way that
will be amended as the importance OF
cooked food becomes known. Now,
such suggestions are flung aside without
examination and curt-"It won't pay. y
The fattening steers are yarded and
straw sheds protect them from snow and
wind. Large square troughs are buili
through the middle of the pen. A wag
on, loaded with ears, is driven slowly
along close beside the trough and two
men shovel corn into it as fast as they
can. The ration is in a rough way a
peck or 27 ears at feed, two feeds a
day, and Just as much hay as they can
eat. A great deal of this corn passes
out whole in their dung. SO gang OF
hogs is yarded with the steers, and they
show commendable industry and humil-
ity of taste in getting fat on this ordure.
Nine-tenths of the corn-fed beef of LII
nois is made in this way, and more than
half of the pork Come, prairie farmers,
let us cipher little and find out whether
there is sense in the Eastern doctrine OF
cooking for animals. You say your
steer runs through with 60 ears in day
and all the dry hay he wants. You have
corn and hay in great abundance you
throw 80 hundred of hay q day before
100 steers. If you should steam fifteen
pounds of hay, mixed with the corn-meal
from 80 ears, ground and cooked, you
could feed two bullocks just as high as
YOU fed one bullock now and fat twice as
many for the knife as you are now fat
tening. You can get steady man by
the wear for SIS and board. What bet-
ter work can he do in the four Winter
months than to make one pound go as
far as two go now? Your steaming ap-
paratus may cost you 500. Your coal
bill 500 more. Now add up
Hire man and his board four months. ........si2 i2O
Cos. Of coal 40 9o
Total. ........................'. 'szio
You will do well if you can with GU
ears and % pounds of hay put pound
of beef day on an animal. BY steam
ING you can make the same fodder pro-
duce two pounds of beef. Suppose you
are Wintering 100 heads. In four
months, by the old rough way. you can
make 100 pounds day for 120 days, II,
600 pounds. BY steaming the same
material will make 24,0O0 pounds, at a
cost of $40 200 pounds the grain by
steaming, at seven cents, is SS4O. De
duct the S240, and the clear gain in beef
is 5000. In order to defend the present
usage, it must be shown that the offal
of these 100 cattle, as now fed, would
make $500 worth of pork without other
food. and this cannot be shown. But
granting that it might be done, what
ripbt-minded man would not prefer tC
send $500 worth of sound, sweet beef tc
consumers rather that 5000 worth of sucl
hog meat ? .. ID. Il.
THEIR SHARE.-Baron James de Roths
child, during the Communist period IL
Paris. was one morning seated in hi,
cabinet, when two fellows from the fau
bourgs, armed to the teeth, entered ant
asked to be shown in to citizen Roths
child. "Gentlemen" he said, "Wha
can / do for YOU ?" "Well, this is wha
! we have to say. You have millions o
money, and the people want bread Sc
, YOU must share, or if not "Share
Vorv well How many are You il