The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-08-26
DispOsing Of Poor Stock.

Poor stock is quite likely to accumu-
late on farms. There is always a demand
for superior animals of every kind. Some
hOrse-trader is certain "to have his eye
on a promising colt from the time it is
first foaled. The local butcher will be
tolerably sure to notice the earliest and
best lambs in the flock and to "speak for
them" as soon as they are large enough
to be slaughtered. He will also ask the
owner ito name the price, for the best
steers, fat wethers and pigs. In nearly
every part of the country dairymen go
about picking up young cows that are
known to be deep mixers, and they are
generally willing to give high prices for
very promising heifers. Often the price
offered for good dairy stock is such that
the farmers are tempted to dispose of
their best cows and heifers and are left
with very poor mixers to supply the
family with dairy products. Dairymen
have learned the difference in value be-
tween COW that will give twenty quarts
of milk in day and one that will furnish
only half that amount. They know that
there is no profit in keeping COWS that
can not produce and maintain a large
milking record. They are generally
ready to offer what seems to be a very
large price for cows that will give an I'M
commonly large amount of milk. If a
horse raised on a farm develops remark
able speed under ordinary management,
some fancier is quite likely to think that
he can make money in buying it and
training it for the turf. There is now
great demand for very heavy horses in
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burdens are quite likely to be bought by
local dealers for shipping to cities and
large towns where a large amount of
heavy teamng is carried on. AS con-
sequence, the best animals are sold to
persons who come to the farm to buy
them, and the most inferior ones remain.
Many farmers are prone to keep cattle,
sheep, and sometimes hogs till the period
when they have little value in any market.
They accordingly continue to feed them
long after they have "outlived their Use
fulness." When they become aware of
the fact that they are no longer profitable
they seek to sell them, but can find no
purchaser. They then think about fat
tening them, but the season is so far ad-
vanced that the grass nearly is all gone,
and they must be prepared for the butcher
by feeding them grain or other eXpen-
sive sorts of food. 1t is often the case
that an animal fattened on corn and
other expensive kinds of food will not
bring as much as the food costs. 1t is
not fed to them till the weather be-
comes cold and most of the fattening
material it contained is consumed in gen
Grating heat or repairing the waste in the
system. In many cases the teeth of the
animals are poor and they are not able
to chew their food properly. In other
cases their digestive apparatus is i'm
paired, and the grain they eat produces
little fat or muscle.
Farmers, or the members of their
families, often become attached to certain
animals and keep them, not for the
good they now do, or for any they are
expected to do in the future, but for the
good they have DONE This sort of senti-
mentality is commendable, as it gives
evidence of kindly feelings, but it is very
expensive, and an indulgence in it to a
considerable extent will be very certain
to render stock-raiser poor. With rare
exceptions only quite young animals are
profitable to keep. Every farm animal
reaches an age when its value begins to
steadily decline, no matter how well ii
may be fed and cared for. What is true of
animals is also true of all kinds of fowls.
All kinds of farm stock should be dis
posed of before this period of decline is
reached. Only animals and fowls in
good vigor can be fattened easily, and
made to bring fair price in the market.
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of the year to carefully look over the live
stock they have and determine what
animals and fowls are profitable to keep
over another winter. Meat of all kinds
is high, and that afforded by inferior
animals will probably sell for as much
the coming fall and winter as it will at
any future time. Farmers often winter
animals and find that they are worth less
in the spring than they were in the
previous fall. They have eaten a large
amount of hay and grain, and required
great amount of care, and have been
subjected to many dangers, but are not
able to command the price they would
several months before. There is moth
ing to show for the food they have eaten
except a few loads of manure. The
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should be carefully examined, and if it is
not good the inferior animals should be
prepared for the butcher. Few persons
engaged in general farming keep good
dairy stock. They have ordinarily sew
eral general purpose" cows-that is,
COWS that will breed calves of fair quail
ty as beef-producers, and which
will give some milk for quite limited
period. They are not cows, however,
which an intelligent dairyman would
keep for term of years, even if he
could obtain them as a gift These in
ferior mixers should be converted into
beef, and their places supplied by COWS
that will give double the amount of milk
Most 1ock-masters agree in the opinion
that it is not desirable to keep sheep
that can be converted into mutton after
they are four years old. They will pro-
duce large fleeces and drop good lambs
after that time, but their value as meat
producing animals will begin to decline.
1t will require more food. and that of a
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