Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-02-16
Stock Raising,

1t is not necessary to suggest to the
general farmer the desirability of keep
ing the several kinds of stock usually
found upon the farm, for he keeps them
all. A farm without horses, cattle and
hogs, would be curiously managed in
stltuuon. But that we always keep
them IN proper proportion is quite an
other matter. to say nothing of those
who have got their minds so warped
upon raising cattle. or horses, or hogs.
that they can see nothing of profit in
anything else. Many man has a large
herd OF cattle without any hogs to speak
OF, and many another has large herd
OF hogs without any cattle to speak of.
Now 1t Is wasting time and space to say
TO any experienced reader of this paper
tnat without hogs to run after fattening
cattle there is a great deal of positive
loss. Why are they then not Kept to.
gether always? The question is great
deal easier asked than answered.
we nave upon our farm hundred
and nifty cattle, and about hundred
and fifty hogs. 1t is of course impossi-
BILE to say what it will cost to fatten the
hogs, so many things must be taken
into consideration that that can not be
determined until we are through feed.
ing. But of course we know that they
utilize much that the cattle do not. As
frequently mentioned in this paper for
the sole purpose of impressing it upon
the minds of all, there is no animal that
will take the place of the hog on the
farm. He is the profitable mill that
grlnds into profit the refuse that would
be totally lost but for him, and there is
nothing eataDle that the animal will not
convert into pecuniary profit; and while
he Is doing this he will repay any extra
outlay for his benefit. 1t is a mystery
to us that this is not always plainly seen,
put 1t IS no more mystery than the
failure of many men to see that the best
way to market their crops is to put it in
to meat. This year this is especially
true. Meats in our city markets are
rising In price all the time, and Judge
predicted to us a few days since that be-
fore July beef which city consumers
have been buying for twelve cents,
would go to twenty cents. This is,
perhaps, little high, but it will 90
much higher we doubt not than it is. 1t
has advanced two cents per pound with
in the last month. 1t is not always the
case, hewever, that the advance in the
retail market benefits the producer at
first; indeed it seldom does The mid
dlemen by some sort of Dyer demain,
succeed in paying the usual prices to
the producer, and gradually boosting
them upon the retailer and consumer.
But when, as at present, there is a le-
gitimate cause for the rise, some of the
profits will eventually get where the
most of them rightfully belong-into the
pockets of the producer.
But we are firm in our belief that, eX-
scept under unusual circumstances, the
greatest profits of stock raising will be
found in raising all kinds of stock. If
the location is not suited to any partic-
ular kind of stock-sheep, for instance
that kind will naturally be dropped
out of the list. But when stock can be
made profitable at all-on the general
farm, we mean-swine and cattle can
be made more profitable together than
they can separately. We have no doubt
that a mixed stock husbandry would
often pay better on the plains, and in
Texas, than one exclusive kind now
does. In that case one very desirable
result would be seen, and that is, the
end of the foolish wars between those
who are interested in different kinds,
which wars sometimes assume consid-
cradle proportions. We saw this rem
Guy IGCcublf III ICAoo
paper, and think the suggestion good
one.
Our average farmer, however, will
find it to his interest not to get so car
ried away with any particular kind of
stock that he will neglect all other
kinds. Cattle breeding and cattle feed
ing are profitable, and so is swine breed
ing and swine feeding, to say nothing
about breeding the proper kind of horses
or sheep. We recognize the fact, too,
that horse breeding, if properly con-
Quoted, is profitable enterprise, but
the most certain profit in that line comes
from breeding horses for farm purposes.
The farm horse is more needed to-day
than any other kind, and the kind of a
horse that best answers the purpose Is
the horse for the farmer to breed. We
do not want trotting horses. At least
we do not want them bad enough to run
the risks of failure in breeding them.
But on nine farms out of ten, taking the
whole country through, there are needed
better horses, and there will be better
ones, o.-Western Rural.