The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-08-28

females OF these half-bioOd3 agaln,
bred TO Thoroughbred sire, sill pro-
Guce animals, for all practical purposes
except that of procreatioD, equal TO the
average thoroughbred. The same Is
true OF sheep, swine, poultry, and IN
fact all kinds OF farm stock. DT pro-
caring thoroughbred males Of the pur-
e,t lineage, and of great Individual
m r;t, and carefully selecting the best Of
the female produce for breeders, using
thoroughbred males only, for three or
four generations, the farmer may en-
graft ,fTecyuallv sll the txcellencs Of
he thoroughbred stock upon his ilocks
aud herds.
But for this grading Cd common s.osk
IL is Of the utmost Importance thst the
male be u thoroughbred in the strietsst
sense. A mougrel or grade will DO
better anywhere else than in this place.
The moIe purely bred the sire, the more
valuable, rs rule, will he be for the
purpose. A grade may occs sionally be
found that is An impressive sire, bat
such cases are rare, and exceptional rc-
suits are never safe precedents upon
which TO base a practice in any sort OF
business. ThoIoughbreds of all the
leading breeds Of live stock are ow 50
plentiful and 50 cheap that there is nor
any excuse for general farmers contia-
uing the use OF any other. Ia fact, m
these times Of low prices and active
competition, the man who has the best
s,ocF, aud who practices the most ecr-
nomicsl methods of feeding. Is the man
who makes the money, while all Others
will find the balance on the wrong side
of the ledger.
And while on the subject, it may not
be out Of place TO direct attention 10 The
fact that good care and liberal feeding
cut quite figure in the economy OF
stockralsing. The very best breed
will not show any marked superit rity
over native stock, il left entirely 10
shift for itself in the hands Of the aver
age farmer. but the improved breeds do
furnish the means by which more
pounds of beef, or milk or, butter, or
wool, or mutton, or pork, or lard, aud
OF better quality, can be produced by
given quantity Of food, than from un-
improved stock. Even common stock
will yield much more profit II the
farmer from liberal feeding aud coed
care than il keptin half-starved, half.
frozen condition; but:with the improv-
ed breeds the difference Is much more.
apparent. National Lire iS'ock Jour
nal.
The advocates of stock breeding and
feeding as being more desirable farm
ing than making grain CROWN speciai-
~, need not be without reason for
the faith that is within them. Ttlis
not a mere blind assertion that the form
er will pay better than the latter IN q
series of years. 1t has not simply
happened" that this has been true IN
the past. 1t can be shown that the prin-
c!ples of good business management
strongly favor the plan Of making live
stock q prominent feature on the msss
OF farms of the country-certainly in
the West. There are many farms Of
which this is not true, but they are In
the minority, not the majority.
1t is an obvious principle, and II we
have to transport our produces. especial.
ly long distances, il is wise {,
reduce the weight and bulk as much A.
possible. This the farmer does in
marked degree where he feeds his grain
and grass to ANIMALS instead OF selling
these products. The condensation Is
most marked where the product of the
animal. as wool or milk, CT better, its
products, butttr and ch1ese, are sold;
but the homely proverb, that the best
sack in which to ship corn to market Is
beef hide or hog skin, expresses
truth forcibly, il rot elegantly.
The one great disadvantage OF West
ern agriculture, as compared with that
of the Esst, is the greater distance frcm
the greIt markets for farm products.
Complaints of too high charges f9f
transportation have been very common.
A difference OF even a small fraction Of
cent in the freight charges per pound,
for shippirg corn, may decide whether
the crop il TO be profit or loss, for us
value at starting is now less than hy(f
a cent per pouod. A ke didere1 ce
would be less importtlt IN the ease {
pork, beef or mutton, still less in II Q
case OF cheese, butter or wool. Here
is one indisputsble advantage the stock
farmer has. /. is generally recog-
nized rule that the selling price Of any
article is largely affected by the Tins,
lab IT and sklll required TO produce IL.
Ii is also usually true that the more
frequently we change the form OF the
product, the more we ''menufecture,
the greater the probable profit. In
these regards the stock farmer has the
advantage over the one who stops at
grain growing. Animals require =
longer time for :heir produt ton, and
usually more care aid skill, than gfaia.
growing.
Il is one OF the most obvious business
principles that one should keep his
capital employed. IL Is better 10 loan
money to the government at four pts
cent. for long series Of years than 81
loan il for three months OF each year ~
ten per cent. and have the money he
die the remainder OF the time. IL Il
better to take steady work at | day
than TO rely on uncertain "jobs" ct 81
q day. II Is a special advantages ol
stock growing and feeding that, n
rightly managed, each animal may IN
crease in size, weight and value eaeh
day, and each day labor for itself, q
rtquire the labor of its owner In SON I
form. Payment for this lsbor is 70 be
exptc'ei, and some pr fl also. Il il {
special disadvantage OF exclusive gram
growing that, especially with spring
sown small grains, all the work may be
done in less than half the year; then
the crops cease 10 improve or change
10 aciuL value, except 10 lose by waste
of various kinds. During perhaps hall
the yesr the farmer giving all his atten-
tion 10 grain growing IL comparatively
IDLE, as are his team, while the stock
grower may find employment during
the entire year. The fact that daily
labor throughout all the year IL an es-
ser tai in dairy farming is one chieI
reason for the more than usual profit.
abieness Of that interest through long
series Of years.
II Is wise not only 10 keep capital
cons tantly employed, but alao to KEEP
all the capital employed wht never 4 a
possible. Sock farming here, again.
has the preference over grain farming.
Very many farms are too wet, too hilly,
too stony, or, as yet. too stumpy foi
profitable tillage, but viii give 3 fan
return when in grafs. There are nook
and corners, there are the sides oi
streams and fences which produce good
grass, bat are not used when the land
is in grain. So, too, the stock val
probably consume many products which
would be largely wasted on grain farms
The waste Of valuable food, where "a
stock 10 kept on corn-growing farm.
is very great. Evea straw from the
| small Ornina can he mt 10 better llee