The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-08-08
Improved Stock for the General Farm.

American farmers have good repu-
tation for shrewdness and for ability to
adapt themselves to their surroundings;
yet there are tens of thousands of them
who refuse to believe that they can
proftably make any direct use of pure
bred stock cattle, for instance-or
who, at the most, only make use of
pure-bred bulls. It is unquestionably
true that cross-bred or grade animals
are often fully equal to the pure-bred
ones for beef or milk production; but
there is still demand for more pure
bred animals that can be had. Great
prices can not be made by the average
farmer-breeder of pure cattle; but he
must be dull man, indeed, who can
not find sale for his young stock-bulls
and heifers- at prices considerably in
advance of what he can obtain for even
good grade animals. There are some
breeds which are in little demand, but
there is no need of selecting any of
| these. Short-horns are now bred IN
such great numbers, and so generally
distributed over the country, that al
most any farmer. in any part of the
United States in which good cattle are
kept, can obtain all he may need st
moderate prices. Some who are preju-
diced against this breed point to the
fact that Short-horns can be bought at
quite moderate prices as evidence that
they are losing their popularity. The
class of farmers we have in mind may
well be thankful that prices are as they
are. Such farmers can not afford to
pay $1,000 or even $500 for bull or a
cow, but they can afford, as we fully
believe, TO pay 800 to 5000 for good
individuals of good breeding, even if
fashion has set her face against certain
crosses in the pedigrees.
Let us take case within the reach
of any one of some hundreds of our
farmer-readers who have never bred or
owned pure Short-horn COW. Sup
pose an Illinois or Iowa farmer buys a
good bull and three, four or a half
dozen COWS or heifers at an average of
! 800 each. If one be content to accept
questionable pedigrees and colors, and
not insist on buying ''show" animals,
good, fair Short-horns can be obtained
at this price or for an advance of $50
each at most over the price demanded
1OI SCIuUSs 4uCSC CdIOlC Stbil NC hSHb
as cheaply as grades or cross-bred ami
mails, aside from danger of loss by dis
ease or accident. Interest on the diff
ference in cost over the value of good
grade cattle will be the only additional
cost of the progeny of these cattle.
There may be places where it is not
possible to sell fair Short-horn for So
or $40 more than the price of grade
steer or heifer of like age, but we do
not know where such places are to be
found.
With anything like average success
the sales of the young bulls will, at
least, repay the interest on the extra
cost of the first purchase. When the
herd of breeding females has reached
twenty head the additional $500 or $500
at first expended over what would have
been necessary to purchase grade COWS
cuts but little figure, while the herd
will be worth, say $1,000, instead of
$1,000 or $1,000. We are purposely
using low figures. 1t often happens
that large profits come from buying
high-priced cattle, but we want to i'm
press npon many who could not be in
duced to buy even one animal at $500
that they can make money, and almost
without risk, by purchasing and breed
ing cattle of the lowest-priced families.
| Breeders Gazette.