Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-03-12
THE HERALD.
FARM TOPICS.
Kinds of Stock Adapted to Wisconsin,
DISCUSSION By rHE RosENDALE FARMERS cLun.
From the Western Farmer. ]

EuWaTu ID. EarsOnb
Mr.. Parsons made some happy and
appropriate remarks, abiding to tho
early settlement of the country, its
old pioneers, and the mode of farming
practiced in those days. Pointed out
the contrast between the times wherA
the question was not "what kinds OF
stock" but chow shall wo find a
market for the abundant crop of
grain, which our rich virgin soils
produce )" and the present day, when
grain crops are failing to be remun-
erative, and the farmer is turning
his attention to stock a. the only
salvation for his farm.
All had concluded to seed down
their farms and the question was,
what is the stock TO which their
crops of hay and other fodder could
DO most pro6ta6ly fed Some were
asking whether they had not better
90 into sheep, some into cows, and
others into swine or horses. Mr..
Parsons had, in his experience, found
the most uniform profit in keeping
all kinds of stock upon his farm,
instead Of running too much to one
kind az speciality. Farmers who
followed this practice would not
have TO exelaim 80 often, II have
made nothing this year, because l
have not had the right kind Of stuff
to sell off,"
MI. Parsons recommended from
his experience, the Merno sheep as
the hardest and most profitable for
this northern climate. They kept
on much less feed, and their wool
would realize the most. They thriv-
cd the hes; on good clover hay. For
cattle no thought cross Of the
Devon with the Short. Horn (uniliDg
hardness with sZo and weight of
carcass, which wer9 Of great import
ance here) TO be the most profitable,
all things considered. lie would al
ways keep colts enough running in
the yards to eat up the coarse stems
Of the clover and other hay left by
the sheep. Thought much of the
Norman, AS u breed Of horses for farm
work. His swine were cross be-
tween the Berkshire and the Chester
White, which gave good size com
bined with easy fatteuing qualities
He let them run the yards with his
stock much Of the time
Mr.. Parsons concluded by noticing
that farmers who had kept stock all
along tor years, were generally in
good circumstances, and surrounded
by good improvements, while those
on the pralres, who had been con-
fined TO grain raising, bad little left
but ruined farm, which would now
produce but six or eight bushels OF
wheat per acre: and frO IN which
they barely exc cut subsistence.
The question was then generally
discussed by Messrs. Hill, Scribner,
lnnis, Bartran, and others, whose
viows IN the main, concurred with
those Of Mr. Parsons
Mr.. Geo @. Hill favored the keep
ing of all kinds Of stock but colts,
which he had discarded. He could
not keep them without fences eight
or ten feet high He mad not been
one OF those who had got rid of their
sheep, but had kept evenly along
Thought a good stock of cattle and
sheep could be proftabiy kept on
every farm.
Mr. Joseph Scribner thought the
size OF the farm, had much to do
with the variety of stock, A farmer
could not keep all kinds upon eighty
acres should make O speciality OF
some one kind which his farm and
its circumstances were best adopted
70. He would keep q few sheep;
enough TO supply himself with wool
and mutton. Living on a small farm
30 near u cheese factory, his main
object would be to keep The best
herd of COWS for milk The paeyail~
ing idea here was in favor OF the
Short Horn; but he had not found
it just the thing. He had just pur-
chased an Ayrshire COW ,as u venture.
Mr.. ). thought that the Increased
quantity Of milk from the smaller
breeds Of cows, would much more
NiARu hhANOhohk0 AOA tilG VAIN Vi
weight in carcass when turned off
tor beef. Would always keen as
many hogs as he could proftably-
preferred the Berkshire
Mr.. Innis thought Mr.. Parsons was
right that the farmer should keep
the whole range of stock, 1t was
bad policy to ran into aHy one kind
exclusively; considered il impossible
for any one farm commodity TO keep
down II very long time. We are
now on the eve OF another fine wool
excitement We should keep even.
~ along 10 our course OF business.
even If sometimes without profit for
year or two, in some ono variety
Of stock. He alluded TO people NOV
ing South for the purpose of raising
stock more probably thought
farmers we're getting along just as
we'll here. There were draw backs
every where. Our prairie faamers
wcro ruiniag themselves by no
keeping stock enough Many once
superior farms were now unfit for
profitable cultivation. The masses
want a breed of oattIo for both milk
and beef. The kind Of stock depends
much upoo the quality of our feed.
With good, rich tame grasses, the
Short-Horn would thrive. On com
mon marsh feed the Devon was the
best stock.
Mr.. Marsh thought one reason
why prairie farms were RAINING
out, was the great lack OF water,
which made it in many instances,
impossible TO keep mach stock.
Mr.. Bartran had always been on a
farm, and had always kept stock
Had favored sheep which, except
two or three years, had always been
profitable. He also kept cows His
object was, to keep the best COWS for
milk. He thought the small COW,
which gave the best yield Of milk,
would moro than nay for the extra