The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1880-02-25

experimen entail feeding for q few years
past.
Every reader at once declares that
the matter is clear-it must be a
steer that has been well bred, that
inherits a large capacity for con-
sumption, digestion and assimilation
of food. It is useless TO attempt to
feed any other for profit in the East,
but under the head of "the steer to
feed'' Iwish to make this point, rest
ing upon my own observation and
that of others: This is the only steer
that one can afford TO feed high; for
when fed an increased ration over an
ordinary one, the well bred steer as
Stimulates very much heavier per-
centage of this increase than an av.
crage steer, and the poorer steers
capacity for assimilation is so low
that it will not give favorable res
ponse to heavy ration.
Our steer must be Of the larger
breeds; for rapidly growing, or a
large animal, will make more growth
on q pound of food than one of q
smaller breed. A large beef pre-
sents less radiating surface in pro-
portion to weight, than small one
thus, in case Of the latter, more food
is required, particularly in winter, 10
maintain the animal heat. On this
head practical experience confirms
theoretical considerations. The ami
NAL should be early matured. Ii q
steer is sold when ~ years of age,
weighing 1000 pounds, then his ave-
rage weight for his life time would
have been not far from 800 pounds.
Such an 800 pound steer have found
will consume ID pounds of hay day
as maintenance fodder, making no
growth. Now, the steer has con
sumed "A pounds day for Al years,
how many steers require yeals TO
weigh 1900 pounds--simply to run
the machine?
1t is the hay given over this
amount daily that makes the growth.
Growing our steer to 1900 pounds
at q years, will save maintenance
fodder for two years; or, in round
numbers, for two winters, $50 days,
we shall save 24 tons of hay, as well
as two years. pasturing. But again
] find that you2g animal will make
more gain on pound of food than
an older one, thus making double
gain. Moreover, an animal when
small, will make very much more
gain than an animal nearly matured.
The difference is so great as to be-
come of much Importance. This
fact should lead us so to breed as to
get an animal that will come into
shape to command full market pri-
ces at much less weight than that
named. Could market demand be
developed for 800 pound calves, these
could be furnished at profit by the
side of Texas steers.
For generation most of The stock
of New England has been kept for
the direct purpose of manure making,
and they are yet its cheapest sources.
Were it not so, in comparativel y
short time there would be but little
stock In the East. Yet in feeding,
the prime olject-!he fact that our
steers are simply manure factories -
is lost sight of. The Englisbman's
frat question is: "What is the ma
nure value of the food?' Then in
buying foods--I buy heavily because
/ find it the cheapest means of OBJ
tanning plant food, and for another
object / will name further on al
ways consider the amount of the ell
ements Of plant food contained in
the proposed purchase. / do not
say that that shall be the sole critic
rion of purchase, but it must have a
determining recognition. It not un-
frequently happens that nilroge-
nous food is nearly, or quite, worth
its cost as q manure. Intending
here to call attention only to promi-
nent points in stock management.
tina. are settled but not accepted
generally in practice, | will forego
details, and simply say that in prac,
tice can give corroborative evidence
from my records of the facts here
stated u. W. Sanborn, in Rural
New Yorker. 80
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