The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-10-18
Agricultural.



can afford to keep through bred stock is
being discussed In the National lire
Stock Journal. A "Drover'of the Union !
Stock Yards, Chicago, in q commuuica-
ton to that paper, gives il as his opin.
ION that they can afford to keep only
good stock. He does not advise such
farmers to buy thoroughbred cows and
attempt TO raise full bloods for beef
but to get good Shorlhorn bull, and
the best native cows they can obtain.
the farmer can make steers of the bull
calves, aud sell them for beef, and the
best OF tho females he can reserve for
breeding purposes and as they become
OF sufficient age, he can work off the
oldcows TO make room for the grade
hcifcis, and their calves he can raise to
take their places, and so ON, always
using a thoroughbred bull, and females
as near thoroughbred as be can g't
them, aud in q few years he will have
a herd Of cows which for beef purposes
will possess all the cxcellencies of the
thoroughbred. lie says:
httliaN SVOt titdl VI blbCh, ukll
my business takes me into different
parts of the country, and in contact
with farmers all the time, and am as
tonished at the lack of correct informa
tion on the advantage Of good stock
which prevails among well to do farm
ers, who, on all other subjects are well
informed and wido.awake. l have bred
cattle and grazsd them, though, in
breeding, never got so far along as to
make special business of raising thor.
oughbreds to others for breeding pur
poses. But when { comes to matter
OF cattle for beef think l know my
business, and what | am talking about
When l was grazing I would give
moro per pound for good grade Short
horn seer or calf than for common
one (aTd [ noticed they always weigh
ed move, too, at the same age,) because
l could tit them for market earlier, be
cause could put more pounds of bee
to an acre of p5s.urage, and becaus
| could always sell it for more pc
pound,
Now, as a cattle buyer, l will Civ
more for the same class of stock, than
Will for conmoa stock, because / cal
always find a ready market for it, ant
realize the best prices, and because ther
is less risk in it. When the market i
ovorstocked; when buyers from tn
East are few, and holding or, price
dropping and drovers blue, 1 notice i
isalways the inferior and common stool
which feels the depression most, and t
the greatest extent, / have often motto
ed, that when l had several lots of goot
common beeves in the mar ket, / hat
to accept very marked concession il
the prices, In order to secure custo
mer, while around a lot of high grade
in an adjoining pen, the buyers woulC
swarm in troops, each one eager ant
anxious to buy at full rates. And whel
prices have dropped, 1 have notices
that Il cent on common stock was no
followed by more than half cent OF
high grades, and when prices advance
the best stock always feels the advanc
the earliest. For this reason, prefer Il
handle this kind of stock TO common
stock, and always expect to pay NOR
per pound for it, and can make none.
by doing it. IL is with this, as wit
everything else, there is always a s!roni
healthy demand, more buyers than sci
lers, for choice article than for com
mon one, and the farmer will make tht
most money who endeavors TO supply
the best.
Another thing ] have noticed, and
have handled a great many cattle, anC
that is, that high grades become goot
mature bceves, and can command ful
prices III market at an earlier age, thai
common bullocks, and when was run
ming farm, l considered this a grea
advantage. There is no question abou
their maturing earlier, about their fat
tening more readily, and about thei
selling for higher price.