The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-06-13
Live Stock q Part OF General Farming.

IT is not uncommon to find men who
look upon live stock, especially fine or
improved stock. and all that relates to
it, as something entirely distinct from
farming in its ordinary Specification,
although not nearly SO many as there
were few years since. The future
success of our Western agriculture is to
depend very largely on increased at
tentiOn to the rearing and feeding of
domestic animals, and producing those
things with which they furnish us.
Individual farmers will continue to
prosper, although making the least pos
sible use of the animal in their farm
ing; but l do not believe continued
prosperity will be found to attend any
one, in any section of the West, into
whose system of farming live stock
does not prominently enter. The
broad rule will hold true that, other
things equal, that kind of farming
which gives the most constant employ
ment to and which makes a steady,
full use of the capital invested, will
prosper best. And this stock growing
and feeding, either for the carcass or
for its prOducts-wool, milk, etc.
does in a marked degree. Every day
in the year our domestic animals either
require labor at the hands of their own
er or arc laboring for themselves. If
properly cared for, they are each day
growing III value, or giving q direct
return. Other things equal, that prod
uct which has required the most labor,
which has involved the most of manu-.
featuring processes, will give the largest
profit. And our animals are manufact-
urers, converting vegetable products
into meat, or milk, or wool, or strength
which we can make use of.
Again, and this is q point of special
application to the West, it is familiar
truth that the article which is most
valuable in proportion to size and
weight can be best transported; ami.
mails steadily reduce the bulk of vege-
table products on the farm which are
fed to them. Not true in all possible
cases, it is true as a rule, that the best
bag in which to send Western corn to
the East or to Europe is q hog or steer.
Next to developing home market
for our farm products, the best attain
able mode Of overcoming the disad-
vantage of having to transport our
arm products long distances, is to re-
luce their bulk in proportion to cost;
aud the production Of meat, of dairy
products, or of wool, is y practicable
method of doing this.
Added to these advantages which
stock raising has over exclusive atten-
ton to vegetable crops. are the facts
that keeping animals enables the farm
er to utilize land which otherwise
would be at least partially used, and to
make good use of many products for
which he would find a poor market, il
offered for sale; that they are almost
an essential to good rotation of crops
and the best attainable help to the pro-
ductiOn or saving of fertilizers on the
farm. The list might be extended, but
this enumeration of some of the OBJ
vious advantages of live stock in any
ordinary system of farming may per-
haps serve to show that no farmer can
afford to be Indifferent to that which
concerns the improvement and more
profitable management of our dOmcs-
tic animals. Nor is it true that the
common farmer" has nothing to do
with improved stock.
If any breed of animals deserves the
name improved or +" fine," it is be-
cause it excels in some practical, useful
quality. have often heard small farm
ers say they could not afford to Ego
into stock" and THAT they were COM
PEELED to continue raising grain for
sale. The rapidity with which flock
or herd can be built up from even the
smallest beginning, is often underesti.
mated. The farmer who has but ga
little place. will work ut some disad-
vantage in feeding cattle, but l see nc
conclusive reason why he may not find
it fairly profitable to feed two or three
or half dozen steers of his own rear.
ing. What can be done on q large
scale can usually be done on small
one, and not infrequently the greater
care, the more immediate attention by
the owner, and the consequent bettel
economy, gives . larger proportional
profit from the small business. Cor
National Live 8tock Journal.
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