Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-01-14
Cost OF Raising steers.

professor who proved that three-year
old steer is raised at loss of $40 criticised
by a farmer:
The paper read by Prof. Brown before the
agricultural commission in Ontario, Canada,
giving figures showing that three-year-old
steer is raised at loss of SO, must surprise
the average farmer. Hundreds have been
raising steers, believing they had received
profit, and we can hardly suppose they could
have lost $40 on each and not have known it.
Neither can we suppose that ignorance could
produce a steer $40 cheaper than science. If
80, ignorance in this case is really bliss.
Whatever the figures may fail in proving, it
is proved beyond controversy that it requires
a snug little income to raise 80 or 100 steers
and if we have as much to learn from our
failures as our successes, there is much to
thank Prof. b. for. The report published is
brief, and may leave out much important mat
ter; and consequently, in commenting upon
it, l may fall into error, and will take it as
favor to be corrected.
Milk is rated at $23. If SKINNED, he must
have drunk long and deep, or the calf has
been overcharged for his SKINNED milk. If
new-as l suppose it was-why should there
not have been a loss We hardly require
science to tell us that butter is worth more
than tallow, and, farther, that one pound of
DulleT leu 10 u Gall WOulu uOl pTOuuC6 even
one pound of fat. The grain is charged at
$44 At what time of his calfhood was the
bulk of this grain fed! Upon this much of
the profit or loss may depend. If to be sold
at three years old, the first two and one half
years should aim at growth, not fat. Let
science tell us if butter and grain are protita-
Bile foods to produce growth. Practice tells
US they are not, and that if butter and grain
must be fed it should be at the last, when
quality is desirable, and may then enhance
the value of the whole bulk 80 as to pay their
cost many times. Feeders will have noticed
that animals fed on grain in winter will not
fatten so well on grass. Sixty dollars is charg-
ed for turnips. How is their value to be as
certained? Their market value, in small
quantities. would be about 25 cents per bush
el. AT this price they could only be fed at a
loss. If valued by the amount and price of
beef they would produce, then there could be
no loss, unless We take with it the cost OF
growing and handling, and this is just where
doctors differ, as will be remembered by a
controversy between Prof. Brown and W.
F. Clark, in which Prof. Brown estimates
their feeding value much the highest. 1t il
possible that this may account for a part Of
the $40 lost. @. G.. T., after reading the diff
ferent items, comes to the very natural con
clusiOn that Canadian winters are long-and
no wonder. When the winter feed costs $l2l
aud the summer feed or pasture $l5, the fig
ures would indicate that the winter was dis
proportionately long.
Judging from the common practice of far
mers in Middlesex county, Ont, am led tC
believe that the experiments have gone in the
wrong direction to find profit, as grass cat
tie are giving fair return. 1t is a pleasant
occupation. If knew anything much bet
ter, would try it. A fair three-year ole
steer turned to grass May LIST will by October
or November, on a range of two to two and
half acres, be prime and fat without grain
Many steers were shipped from this count.
in August which were Btraw-fed.
Prof. Brown says; II venture to say tina
no farmer who counts the loss, and goes int
detail, will be able to arrive at a diferen
conclusion" will venture to say that hi
figures do not prove that the business of rails
ing fat steers is Improbable but rather tina
Prof. b. is failure in raising fat steers.-T
b. s., VGnneck, ont, in Country Gentle
man.