The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-10-26
Beef as a Bonanza.

1t IS estimated that the annual cattle
sales in the United States amount to
about $500, 100, 900. This wealth has been
greatly increased by the large augmen-
tation of thoroughbred, cattle. The
american Herd Book" has been ex-
tended to twenty-three volumes. These
volumes are occupied with the record.
and pedigree of $4,000 COWS, and a 1000
bulls, and all ofone class, namely, Dur
hams and shorthorns. The best beef
which finds its way to market is. that of
graded Durham cattle. The Agriculthr-
al Review makes this comment: 49,.
Zone not intimate with the subject
might suppose that, with such an array
in numbers OF our sGorthorns, the prices
of them would gradually diminish at
both the private and pnb!ic sails, now
20 frequent and in such large numbers
in our state. Such, however, is nos the
fact. Average sales are now equal to
prices at which they have ever been.
During the last, five years the public
sales have annually averaged 5000 ami
mals-hulls and cows and heiters-at an
average price, of Sl62 per head, while
sold at private isaiea and at somewhat
ligher prices. Many Of them have sold
for 81 600 and up to ever $l0,tAD each,
so esteemed for pedigree and quality
are they by our enterprising breed
ers. Much higher prices. indeed, have
been obtained in some past years, even
as higt, as S;2J,Un0 and upward for single
animals, from eminent English breeders
who have cone here after them; but
that was in a time of high excitement in
shofthorn rivalry, and need be noted
only as one ot the extraordinary fuctua-
tons in their progress. The unfamiliar
reader may ask where is the great de-
mand for these cattle7 Where is the
market for the several thousand bull
annually produced? The question is
readily answered. Until recently herds
Of cattle by hundreds of thousands
roame,l over the broad ranches of Texas,
Few Mexico, Colorado, and California,
Of the Descendants of the original Span
ish importation into Mexico in the six
teenth century. Ranging over the vast
plains and ranpasao oil that wild climate,
they increased muititudinousiy. Texas
became iull Of them, New Me leo also;
and since the incorporation of these
equities with ours, uncouth and ragged
asthey were in Their wild condition those
cattle have been brought to the subjec.
ton Of civilized stockmen arranged
into herds branded with the marks of
the owners, and at q marketable age
driven through the Indian Te rritory IN
to Kansas, and thence to Missouri and
Chicago markets,,e either for immediate
slaughter, us their conditions would af-
ford, or sold to the Arazers and feeders
fora better market Eastward, These
wild cattle are unfit for choice beef. But
the COWS, crossed on the ranches by
shortlorn bulls, produce tolerably good
steers, p~artakibg strongly Of the blood
and forms of their 'sires, and become
marketable animals with q good pastur-
age and grain topping of in the hands
Of the corn-growing grnzrrs who pur
chased them. The grading up of the
cattle in the West and Southwest has
been going or rapidly within the last
ten years 1t wbuld.pe difficult to decide
whether Illinois or Kentucky is, the
centre Of the sfforthoriied breeding In
terest in this country The centre,
whatever it may be,t,s a movable ,oAe.
The l~ongkorned. half Wild animal is fsst
disappearing. Droves ofthese cattle are
rarely seen. They have been displaced
by better ones ialol. ,.t a-t.at f.,1,~