Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1878-04-20
FARM TOPICS.


II seems hardly 10 be believed, but we
can see on the streets of most any OF our
country towns, on a public day, good
plug-work horses. sound and not over
age, selling for less than what good
thoroughbred steers will bring. The
farm-horse seems never to be quoted
bioher than $50 to $50, while the bull
lock sells readily at $40 to $50. When
we take into consideration the extra
cost of the horse. it is to be wondered
that so many farmers will pursue the
policy of raising year after year a very
common colt, and never saying once,
"Here's your mule" or " Here's your
beef.n There is an outlay of 81 TO Sl5
for the breeding of the mare TO begin
with, and then more care is to be taken
of a colt and usually more generous feed
is given it, even if it does not consume
as much. Now il this first outlay We're
invested, in good grade steer-calf, and
liberal feeding INDUCED in until he is
three years OF age, the owner can peck
ct more cash for him than he will get
for the colt at four or five. There Is
another feature OF this subject when
stripped of its narrow limits; there is
not a carload of shipping-cattle in the
United States that can not be shipped,
after being slaughtered, 10 Great
Britain at remuneratiye figures, while
probably one-half the horses would
scarcely sell for enough to pay freight
to seaboard city. Then
the farmers will surely be more prosper
Gus ii they turn their attention TO some
thing for which there is demand, and
drop off that which seems overdone.
Some very fine coach-horses bear
transportation beyond sea, and there is
some demand for such in Eastern cities,
but it is limited and confined to stock
into the value OF which enters largely
both blood and training, and more of
the latter than the ordinary farmer can
give. We do not intend to attempt 10
estimate q profit in raising common
scrub cattle, lest it bring Us TO balance,
"over the left.'' There is no profit in
raising, feeding or butchering cat
horned, coarse-shouldered, tOugh-hide
scrub If beef be the object, the animal
should be one just rs near akin to short
horned parents on both sides as can be
procured Then he should never be al
lowed to get hungry for day. Keep
him eating and you keep him growing.
At three years OF age you may reasona-
bly, expect TO produce fine bullock, tit
for the export market, weighing l,500
or 1000 pounds, and for which the
present price is 5 to 5. cents per pound.
live weight. Contrast this splendid
animal with the little, pinched-up, thick
headed scullion that has had no breed
inc, no feeding, no care. lie is left to
run too long, and his head and horns
are thick and shaggy. He has been
half-starved during the winter, losing
the flesh put on by the scant grazing Of
summer, and he comes to the stOck-yard
a brute of which, after the tanner, the
soap-grease man and the glue-maker
get their share, there is little left for
the meat-stall, and that of kind better
suited to the glue-iactory than the Ia
bic. OF course the price barely pays
transportion and other expenses. Blue
glass is a great help, but it is not neces-
sary to have 1t 20 make a good bullock.
This can be done wherever corn and
hay will grow, and that is all over our
Western and much of the Southern
country. Let farmers, then, who COM
plain OF the low price of tobacco and
the want Of 4 market for horses turn
their attention to feeding a few cattle of
the right kind. This branch of bust
ness is not likely to be overdone in the
near future, and when it does the de-
mand will perhaps have caught up with
the supply of horses, hogs, and other
stock that viii not bear export. a good
calf properly stalled and led is the '.gin-
tieman that pays the rint," as the Irish
say.-L0uiSUilie C0aIier-Joarndl.