Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-09-03
CATTLE FARMING.
A Faoter In Improved Asrieu,turs Some
Suggestions.


Suggestions.
One OF our Illinois correspondents
rails attention 10 the steadily changing
profits Of cattle farming the margin be-
coming less and less both for beef and
dairy products, and he thinks more con-
sideration must be given 70 what he
calls the indirect income from cattle
farming g--improvemen Of the farm.
The account has usually been, the cost
Of growing aud fattening the cattle and
the market price, or the cost Of keep
ing and labor expended upon the dairy
cow, and the market value OF her prod
uot no account being made OF the re-
turn of cattle farming in manure.
He might have said that IL is only n
few years since the manure was coRsid-
cred q nuisance in consequence of the
labor required TO get IL out Of the way.
IL is we'll that farmers begin to think Of
the incidental compensations in cattle
husbandry. Large portions of Illinois
ceased TO produce paying crops OF
wheat and this cereal had TO be aban-
doned for some years. and more stock
was kept instead. This was the cause,
in some localities, of introducing the
then new industry of dairying. aud after
q few years these districts were again
successful in the wheat crop. Cattle
and grain farming must go together
they are a compensation for each other.
/ This indirect income ~ from cattle is
Just what the grain farmers should
most carefully study. II they fully COM
prehend il. they would be much better
reconciled to lower prices for cattle and
dairy products.
! The English farmer thinks himself
well compensated in feeding cattle II
he can get the manure for his labor. II
his cattle fully pay for all they con
sumo, he knows that the increase Of his
crops will figure up a satisfactory profit
| The English feeders cost Of food is
much higher than the American feed
cr's The former feeds largely OF the
rich oil-cakes imported from this coun-
try, which In turn greatly enrich the
manure; but the American feeder fat
tens mostly upon corn, which being
composed so largely Of starch and 9TH
er carbohydrates that produce fat, does
not enrich the manure so much. The
manure from a ton Of corn has only
about one. half the value of the manure
from ton Of the best clover hay, and
little more than one-fcurth Of that from
ton of linseed meal. or cotton-seed
meal.
Prof Sanborn has found wheat bran
TO be more valuable for growing young
cattle and pigs than corn meal, and
this is what might be expected from its
composition. as it has much more ma
teIGl for the growth of muscle and
bone; aud the manure from n
ton Of bran is worth double
that from a ton of corn. II the manure
is all saved, il is worth the whole
cost of the bran, and, bran is a cheap
fertilizer If applied directly to the crops.
But. of course, it is still more proiita-
BILE to feed and then apply the manure;
for the bran will fully pay its cost in
the growth of animals, and the manure
may then be had free. 1t may safely
be said that the manure from growing
or fattening cattle is worth one.half as
much as the growth or gain on the cat
tie. And II the manure is fully saved
from an animal during it, whole life, it
is wor. h. at least, one-half rs much as
the animal at market age. And If this
is a safe calculation. as we believe, il io
certainly an item well worth consider
ing in the profits of cattle farming.
This item will raise the present low
price to very satisfactory basis. The
first great reform in cattle feeding is to
devise means Of more perfectly saving
the liquid aud solid droppings, and, in
the stable, this can only be done by
using a water-ti light manure gutter. and
then applying both liquid and solid
droppings together, fresh TO the soil. -
National Live Stock journal.