The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-16
Raising Live Stock as a Business.


All farms that are devoted to live stock of
some kind have not only improved, but as rule,
a profit is secured. II the stock on the majority
of farms as now managed can be made to return
a fair income above expenses, how much greater
the profits may be when the stock is strictly
hrst-cass, is not easily estimated A few months
ago special attention was called to lot of sheep
that had averaged 125 pounds when they reached
the market, and yet such weight is really light
one. But the buyers were 80 accustomed to re-
ceiving sheep weighing less than 100 pounds
each that the special lot referred to was deemed
worthy of mention in all the agricultural jour
nails The secret of success, therefore, in raising
live stock, as business, is to keep only the best.
discarding all that do not come up to certain
standard.
With swine the farmers have done well. To
their credit it may be said that the best breeds
have been generally used, and but few old
fashiond scrubs are now seen compared with
twenty years ago; but although hund reds of i'm
proved cattle and sheep have been introduced
into this country. the progress of improvement
on the, farms is now In comparison to what
should be, though the general average is some
what better than formerly.
The difficulty may be due to the fact that
farmers do not look upon their calling as bust
ness; yet is a business as much the selling
or merchandise or any otter vocation. But
few merchants would venture their capital in an
enterprise and expect to succeed without first
consulting all the conditions necessary to sue
cess, and the first and most important duty they
would perform would he that of dealing in the
newest latest and best articles. A merchant
who should endeavor to compete with others
by endeavoring to realize a profit on inferior
goods while entaling upon himself the same
expense that would he incurred in buying and
selling goods of better quality, would be looked
upon as being deficient in business capacity and
lacking in enterprise, while time would soon see
him plunged into bankruptcy. Yet, as compared
with the unenterprising merchant, the farmers
are doing the same thing every year. being con-
tent with nominal profit. when by only chang
irg their system of management they could
easily derive double the amount. Farming is
much safer than investing in merchandise, as is
demonstrated by the fact that they usually man
age to hold on to their farms, while hundreds
OF merchants fail annually. The farmer con-
tents himself with raising a steer that does not
weigh as much when four years old as an i'm
proved animal would at half that age, and yet
he invests as much capital for labor and food, to
Say nothing of quarters and room, on theinferior
animal as he would have to do on the better one.
1t is not business method. and shows a care
lessness which is not necessary. An investment
in any class of live stock should not be for num-
bers, but for quality. 1t is mnch better to Sc
cure profit of $50 from animal than from
two, as the capacity of the farm is increased by
doing as much business possible the
smallest possible area, thereby lessening ex-
penses. II the same results can be attained in
two years as in four the capital is reinveSted
and can be used to a greater advantage. A
sheep weighing $50 pounds when year old is
worth twice as much as a sheep of the same
weight at two years of age, for the reason that a
years time is gained and another animal can be
qnartered and fed on the same space Live
stock are profitable In great many ways but
when stock-raising as a business is conducted
strictly on business principles our farms will
produce more than double the quantity of me at
now secured, while the profits will be trebled.