Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-11-22
Is IL Famlnep

A curious incident in continued
scarcity and increasing high prices of
meat, is the fact that more farmers do
not enter into the business OF produce
ing it. Ii is one of the most profitable
means of making money from the soil,
especially when we take into consider
alton that under a system of careful
feeding the soil is being constantly en-
riched. In this we mean the feed
ing of stock on the farm, by which as
many cattle, hogs, sheep, etc., shall be
carried rs the acres will support, and
not the feeding OF stock by those who
buy up the corn and fodder of neigh
borhood, and feed the stock they have
bought. Neither do we have reference
TO that system of stock-feeding on the
plains and in the mountain valleys
West. or the plains of Texas and New
Mexico, where large herds of cattle are
grazed, to be periodically shipped to
the great markets, the fat ones TO be
killed, and those partially fat to be
bought for sending 10 the distillery
pens, or to be scattered about the
country TO be finished on the farms in
larger CO smaller lots. This is to our
mind the reason why the production of
beef has has not kept pace with the
population, and hence the increasing
scarcity and consequent high price.
With swine the case is different. The
extraordinary price of hogs is, per-
haps, due more TO the scarcity and con-
sequent high price of corn than any
other one thing, though the diseases
incident to the keeping of swine in
large droves, and on artificial food, has
much to do with the increasingly high
price of fat hogs. In the case of NUT
ton, il cuts but little real figure in our
meat products. Our farmers do not
take kindly to sheep. The reason is,
undoubtedly, the prevalence of lawless
dogs in many portions of the country,
and the extra care and constant super
vision necessary in keeping sheep.
To return TO cattle, the statement
that the high price of beef is due to q
scarcity accustomed by the destruction
C! stock on the plains during the win
ter OF 1880 81 is not the true cause.
Although the mortality was great, it
was local, and decreased the number in
the United States by only very small
per cent. The true cause must be
looked for in other directions. They
are: ]. The increase of population by
immigration and births has been great
or than the increase of live stock.
With our inflow of 500, 900 yearly from
foreign countries, and the natural in
crease by births, particular efforts must
be made to increase the food supply
cOrrcspondingly This has been done
except in the breeding of live stock for
food. Instead of this, the feeding of
live stock for meat became so profit
able in the corn region of the West that
less and less attention was paid there
to breeding; and stockers and fattening
cattle were picked up further north,
in the South and Southwest, where corn
was less plenty. At length this supply
began to be exhausted. Hence we see
to day great scarcity of stock suit
able for fattcning into firstrate beef,
and hence Texas and plains cattle,
heretofore used principally for packing.
have been used more and moro freely,
and have felt the stimulus in prices, but
yet not in corresponding degree with
that OF stall-fed, which term, however,
docs not carry with it its exact mean
ing. Fat, corn-fed would be better
word.
In England our scarcity is being felt
We do not export beef either alive or
dead as we used to do. In fact. the ex-
port of beef, especially of live beef, has
fallen off almost entirely. Dead meat
has received most serious shock, and
meat has advanced in some cities there
two cents pound.
In relation to this matter late Eng
lish exchange, the Irish Farmers Ga.
zette, SAYS, the American Fresh Meat
Company, Sunderland, has closed nine
out of the twelve shops they possess in
Sunderland, owing to the scarcity of
American meat. This is significant.
The reason is the price of beef here
will not allow of export at profit.
Let us now look in another d-
rectlon. In 1880, l,332,477 head of
beef cattle were received in Chicago,
and in 1881, 1,546,S00. The receipts
at st. Louis in 1880 were 314,O37, and
in 1881, 4OS,297 These arc the two
great distributing markets of the coun-
try, and in the aggregate the receipts
foot up respectively for 1881, cattle to
the amount of 1,646,50i, and 1855, 097
head for 1881, an increase for the year
of 3l0,593 head. For the first six
months of 1882, the receipts of live
stock in Chicago was 676, 956, so that
the receipts reach little more than for
1880. We have not the receipts for st.
Louis at hand, but presume q relative
falling off there will be found. Against
this we must take into consideration
the increase in population. This was,
in 1870, 3S,576,0 900, or an increase in
ten years of 1858, 72S. This is an
average increase of 1850, 72S individ-
uals annually, and probably in the last
year not less than two millions.
Of late years the East has been ran
sacked by western buyers for calves to
bring west, for dairy purposes, and also
for rearing the steers for fattening
When this source gives out, what them
Sooner or later we must pay more at
tention to the breeding of cattle.
When this is done in connection with
fattening, the whole profit is contained
in single hands. If raised with a view
to selling the stock for feeding, and in
some districts this is permissible from
the inability to raise cheap fattening
food, the profits are fully as great as
with those who fatten them. In fact
those who rear the steers make the
most money. Should not this be an in
centive to farmers to undertake stock
raising to as greata degree as possiblep
How may we do thisp Would it not be
well to look into the matter and calcu-
late profits thereonp Or, shall we go
on in the old rut of raising wheat and
corn and finally impoverishing our
landp Cattle men on the great plains
are rapidly getting rich through the
grazing of cattle. The breeders and
feeders of the prairie region of the
West have made profits largely in ex-
cess of any other class of farmers. For
many years yet to come stock will be
the most remunerative of the industries
connected with agriculture, and those