Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-10-05
The Future Supply Of Beef.

Some months ago sensational arti.
cie appeared in n New York paper on
the future supply of beef in this ccun-
try. 1t showed that the possible limit
OF beef production had been nearly
reached in many of the States, and
that In some of the Territories there'was
not sufficient forage to properly sup
port all the cattle now within their
borders. 1t predicted that in a near
future beef would become so scarce
that 1t would rank as a luxury that only
the rich could afford. Then the same
state of affairs would exist here which
exists in some European countries. The
common people would be obi ged to
give up eating beef and be content with
cheaper art cles of food. 1t certainly is
likely that most kinds of food will be
higher in the future than in the past,
out there seems TO he no probability that
the price of beef VIII be out of proper
ton with other kinds OF food. 1t is GER
tain that the limit of beef production
has not been reached in many sec ions
Of the country. The production of beef
Tor the market has just began to re-
celve attention in most Of the Southern
states. Till very lately cattle received
only secondary considerat on. As a rule
only natives were kept, and they
we're often left t. pick up the'r food as
best they could. The production of
tcrage crops was neglected, and but a
small amount of corn and other grains
suitable for stock food was raised. Cot
ton-seed was thrown into heaps and
| burned or left u rot. At present all
I this is changed. Better breeds OF cat
/ tic have been introduced; more atten-
t on is given to the production of for
| age crops. and the cotton-seed IS used for
/ stock food
The limit of profitable beef produc-
! ton has not been reached in the New
| England States. The introduction OF
the silo and the preservation of fodder
corn in the form of ensilage have ena-
bled some farmers to double the num-
Der of cattle kept on their places. Their
example will be followed by other farm
ers in the future. The limit of beet
production has not been reached in the
states where the most beef has been
produced. Illinois has never contained
cattle enough to eat all the stock-food
it produced. Until very recently large
proportion of the straw produced has
been burned, while most of the corn.
fodder has been wasted. Cultivated
grasses and clover have not been gen
orally introduced into one-fourth the
State. Scarcely any attention has beer
given to the production of turnips anC
other roots that do SO much toward pro
ducinC the beef of England. The large
amount of ilaX-secd meal or oil-cakt
produced has been sent to feed herds in
the old country. Till lately large pro
portion of the cattle kept have beer
scrubs" which gave no good return
for the food they devoured. Every yea
more attention has been given TO the
Improvement of cattle intended fol
beef. and, as consequence, more meat i
produced for an equal amount of foot
eaten. Every year more attention Il
given 10 saving straw and corn-fodder
and to feeding them to stock in a judi
cious manner. Many swamps and bog,
ARE being drained and made to produc
enormous quantities not only of valuabl,
grass but of corn and small grains suit
able for stock food. Cattle have bette
protection during the winter; and as
consequence, they require less food. A
more judicious system of feeding i
practiced, which produces better re
suits.
The attention that has been given T.
.he early maturity of cattle has resulted
in greatly increasing the amount o
beef. A few years ago a large proper
ton of the bullocks designed for tn
market were not slaughtered till the,
were five or six years old. In many in
stances they did not sell for enough t.
pay for half the food they had consumed
Now most stock-raisers turn off thei
cattle when they are three years old
and there is a strong disposition to pre-
pare them for the mavket at still ear
lier age. This change in management
has on some farms almost doubled tn
amount of beef produced. Improve
ments in the quality of stock, in build
ings for the protection of animals, an
in the manner of feeding are now goin
on faster than ever before. and the re
suit will be more and better beef.-Chi
! c00o Ti911eS