The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-01-25

first cross at least, as we are apt to
get more size than from the more
fashionable and finer bred ones.
The next tning necessary TO the
profitable raising and we'll doing OF
cattle, let them be Shorthorns or
grades or any other breed, in fact
any dumb brute, is kind treatment
and plenty to eat and drink. AS we
ride through the country we find the
average farmer of Michigan, with
comfortable house for himself, a
comfortable barn for his horses, but
where do we find his cattle? We
are sorry to say it, but we find them
in the worst of weather, in fact good
or bad weather, standing in the fence
corners or around some old straw
stack, with little or nothing to eat.
We can find on many of our Mich
igan farms, cattle that are hardly
worth anything for the want of feed
and care. We think there is no
breed of cattle that will prove profit
able to the owners with this mode OF
caring for them. In the first place
let them get good class of cattle,
give them plenty to eat and drink
and kind treatment, and they will
prove profitable.
We think the Shorthorns and their
grades the most profitable we also
think that the thoroughbred Short
horn can be made profitable to the
average Michigan farmer if the right
kind is kept. And what kind is this?
Is 1t the plain bred, or what some
call short pedigreed and cheap cattle,
or shall it be the more fashionable
and higher priced Shorthorn 1
shall give it as my opinion that the
plain bred ones are the most profit
able to the average farmer, provided
they are good individual cattle and
why? First, because it does not
take so much capital to commence
with f; second, we can find more
ready sale for them among neighbor-
ing farmers at remunerative prices
in the next place, by castrating the
poorer bulls we can improve the
quality of our cattle. But if we have
invested in the fashionable and high
priced cattle we cannot afford to
send them to the shambles, as there
is double or treble the loss there is
on the palmer and cheaper cattle, as
the latter can be fitted for the butcher
at remunerative prices. We think
the breeding of fancy and high
priced cattle is for the man of more
capital than the average farmer of
Michigan can command.
Now, we have, we think, proven
the Shorthorn and their grades are
the most profitable to the general
farmer of Michigan although l
might go on and bring statements
from hundreds of cattle feeders and
breeders, in this and other countries,
to prove what l have written, and
many of them have given much
larger weights and profits than I
have dared to. l have read state
ments from good authorities who
place the value of the manure at four
cents per pound on the live weight of
the animal. We also find from the
statements Of large feeders and breed
ers Of cattle who have tried the differ
ent breeds of thoroughbreds as sires
for improving the common cattle,
that none equal the Shorthorns for
feeding purposes and also the state
ments of large and most successful
dairymen that the Shorthorn and its
grades are the best and most profit
able for their use, after having tried
all the different kinds.
Again we find the friends and
breeders of the dairy breeds telling
us that Michigan is not beef pro-
ducing State, but is better for dairy
ing. Now, / shall not agree with
this, for l think it as good at beef
producing and on as profitable
basis, as any other State. In using
the Shorthorns and their grades we
have both a dairy and beef breed,
that is, one profitable for the dairy,
and profitable for beef when done
with them in the dairy. With our
own experience and the evidence of
our largest and most successful feed.
ers and dairymen of this and other
countries, that the Shorthorn and
their grades have no equal for beef
and milk, we cannot help but class
them as the most profitable cattle for
the average Michigan farmer.
With this l think l have taken my
share of the time allotted for this
meeting. Perhaps / have not said
anything of much Importance to
breeders but l think the subject
contains facts, which it is the duty of
every breeder to lay before the farm
ers of Michigan, and thereby help
IL IL