The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-06-22
PRICE OF COWS.
The Growing Necessity of Farmers
Raise Stock.

Raise Stock.
Rural New Yorker.
Notwithstanding the low price of
butter and the prospect of no bet
ter rates for cheese than last year,
the price of mich cows has ruled
high and not in proportion to the
prospective value of dairy products.
Mich cows in Herkimer county
have been selling from $40 to $50,
and extra animals at even higher
rates, and drovers claim, in many
instances, to have lost money by
selling at these figures. Dairymen
at first refused to buy, knowing
well that nothing could be made on
cows purchased at these prices but
as the season advanced the necessity
for filing up herds induced many TO
yield to the situation, buying spar
iDgly and perhaps not more than
half the number needed.
The reason for the high prices is
plain enough when one goes abroad
and attempts to pick up lot of de-
sirable mich cows; for then he will
discover that they are by no means
abundant, and that those who have
good cows will not part with them
except at good, round prices. And
we are not likely to see any change
from this condition of affairs for
some time to come, because the de-
mand for mich stock is not suffi-
cient to keep up the ratio between
the two. This, naturally, must have
a tendency to keep up prices; but
the addition of another element will
still further point its influence In
this direction.
The recent expectation of Amer
lean meats and live stock has de-
monstrated that we are to have q
new outlet for these products, which
must, in the future, draw materially
upon the cattle resources of the coun-
try and western cows will be need
ed to supply home wants rather than
be shipped east at low prices. AS
the difiulty of obtaining first-class
dairy stock is greater from year to
year, with prospect of still furth-
er search y in the markets, stock
raising among dairymeu, it seems to
US, becomes an imperative necessity.
Many dairymen in New York have
abandoned stock-raising, under the
impression that it does not pay.
This may have been true q few years
ago, when cows were no higher than
they are to-day, while dNiry pro-
ducts brought a third more money.
1t is quite different now, and we
think dairymen must find a fair
profit i'll raising stock, especially if
some attention be paid to breeding
an extra quality of mixers. at the
present price of dairy products,
there can be no money in milk from
poor cows, but with large mixers
there is still fair margin of profit
to be obtained. The necessity, then,
for breeding stock that can be made
to yield large product, is impera-
tive and from this standpoint, ire
spective of other considerations, the
dairyman must find it to his advan-
tsge to raise stock rather than to
depend on purchasing.
AS the price of beef advances, the
practice adopted by the dairymen
of England can be followed with
advantage here, and that is, to turn
all animals that fail to milk or are
untitled for the dairy, into beef
Many persons make business, and
a good business, too, in fattening
animals for the shambles. They 90
among our dairymen early in the
season purchasing dry stock or such
as from accident have failed to milk
These animals are collected together
and turned upon good pasture where
they gain in flesh and are ready for
the butcher from time to time dur.
ing the summer, or they may be fin
ished OF with meal, so as to bring
good prices.
Now if a handsome profit can be
made in this way, why should moi
the dairymen feed such stock on his
farm and haYe the profit of 1t, rather
than sell his refuse animals at prices
that do not pay for their winter keep
allowing the graZier to take all the
profit2 The English dairyman al.
ways has an eye to meat as well a:
to milk. His dairy cows are turned
before they get old and worn out
and at an age when the animals may
be readily fattened and all dairy
stock is made into beef upon the
farm after performing the allotted
service in the dairy. La this way
loss on the animals is not only OBJ
waited, but they realize handsome
profit.
We would be glad to see more at
tention paid to the raising of stool
in the dairy districts, and if ever,
dairyman would make it a point Il
raise all the stock needed yearly t.
keep up his herd, with an occasion
al dairy cow TO sell, from time I,
time, he would find it to his advan
tage, and we are convinced that th
time is not distant when necessit
will COMPEL this course to be gen