The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-01-30
The Egis & Intelligencer
Bel Air, Md, January 80, 1885.
DEER CREEK FARMERS CLUB.
Does 1t Pay Hartford Farmers to Raise
Fattening Cattle.
An Interesting Discussion.


Upon invitation of Mr.. VIM. F. Hays the regu-
lar monthly meeting of the Deer Creek Farmers
Club was held at the residence OF M MI IN. N. W. g.
members of the club and among honorary mem
bers and guests were Messrs Harry Wilson John
Allen, Charles and Harry Coale, George and John
Hays. VIM. Coale and Mr.. Crowl. The Presi-
Me Mess Moores. Munnikhuysen and s. B. silver Silver
were appointed to inspect Mr.. Hays premises and
Messrs VIM. F. Hays and George Hays have turn turn
ed their attention 10 breeding Short Horn cattle
and have a remarkably fine herd, the most of
through Mr.. Moores, who said that the Messrs.
Hays have everything in the best order for con-
equal to any in the State. Their imported bull was
faultless. The committee were struck with the
which was the handsomest animal they had ever
seen. Another Short Horn calf, seven months
DID, aer1 U ban Vs stoc e
GLIDING Z home raised Their Berkshire hogs
look we'll; Mr.. Moores said he remembered when
Mr.. Hays house was built. 1t was in the woods.
fencing, lanes. &C.. were well laid of with the
of water runs through it Mr.: Munnikhuysen
mentioned fine mare, sired by Harry Arlington,
The question selected by Mr.. Hays for discus
sion was as follows: AT the present prices of
beef cattle will it pay Hartford county farmers to
Mr. Vim. F. Hays said he had selected this ques-
ton because in buying, stock cattle are too high.
TO know how to overcome the difference. His
belief was that it would pay to raise cattle
AS general thing Hartford county farmers buy u
low grade of stock cattle and sell low grade of
beef cattle. Home-raised cattle generally
sell them. with proper feeding there is no trou-
BILE to make a three-year old home-raised steer
weigh 1880 lbs; They should be kept growing
from the day they are calved and they can be
sold any time The proper time is when they are
~ years old. 1t necessrates keeping few cows.
S35, and it should weigh 1000 lbs and be worth 6
cents pound, or $25 profit. The average Har
stock cattle. The calves should be allowed to
run with their dams until four months old.
H. Spalding always raises good many steers
and thought it profitable. He had also found
that it pays to raise heifers and sell them after
their first or second calf
Il. John Rogers remarked that one trouble con-
nected with raising our own stock cattle is that
it necessitates keeping so much stock on hand
For instance farmer who grazes 20 head must
olds and 20 three year Odds. With proper pains
no doubt you can raise better stock than you can
ordinarily buy, but you can buy good stock If
you, pay the price they cost. Low grade
cattle, even .o. when fat, are harder to sell
head of stock to Craze 20 home-rased steers
you must have great deal of pasture, and
ali the time. COWS require s best of care
at all times and the cost OF keeping each OF them
would sen r seer III ib E0o9
good calves, and to do it successfully thorough
bred stock is necessary.
". Scott Barnes said he had found it profitable
to raise calves. but If he were feeding many cat
tie he would prefer to risk the chances of buying
stock cattle in preference TO keeping many cows.
Harry Wilson generally raises all the best calves.
but did not think 1t would pay our farmers
TO keep sufficient number of cows to raise all
their stock cattle. 1t is an uphill business to
keep cows for calves alone. On large farm it
would pay to keep say 10 cows raise the best
calves and buy more stock cattle. We need not
have thoroughbred to raise good cattle. but
a thorough bred bull and good average COWS will
produce cattle nearly as good as thorough |
r ii. Archer said that good, clear farm,
well set in grass, ought to be occupied by young |
cattle. not calves; but II a man Is rich and has
ing woods and waste places calves might be
raised on it proftably. In raising home-bred
stock the question is what to do with the old cows.
They deteriorate after having a few calves. |
On farm of 200 acres it would require great
purposes. 1t pays to raise two or three calves |
but to raise stock cattle will not pay.
John Moores thought it would pay the average
however, had been lost sight of. in considering |
the subject. which is, the butter the COW might |
late upon making much butter. A 100 acre farm |
will run 10 cows. They would average lbs, of |
item in connection with the calves Mr.. Moores |
said he raises only two calves year and finds |
that In 80 years ne mas SOLD SSo0 worth la OF COWS
generally sold at years old. They come in profit |
when Is months old If farmers would turn their |
attention to raising COWS, calves and making but |
ter they would make more money. 1t is not as |
sential to have thoroughbred Short Horns or |
Jerseys, but have good grades. 1t would pay,
however. to have thorough bred Short Horn or |
Jersey bull. 1t will pay to raise every calf drop
ped on the farm foam ana they may be taken IRON
old they will eat cob meal the same as fat cattle
will. In raising calves and making butter en- |
ployment is furnished for every member OF the |
family, which is an important consideration.
S. b. Silver said he sometimes doubted whether
not 1t pays to buy cattle in the fall, feed them
rough feed through the winter and Craze them the
following summer. His system Is to raise calves
and during the last few years he had found that
it pays better than buying stock CATTLE 1t brings
in more ready money and the outlay is much
smaller. You should have good grade COWS and
steer 2K years old will bring from $40 to $T5,
without extra care or crowding. He would not
advocate growing sufficient number to stock the
farm You can, however. stable or calves in
the winter in one box stall and they will eat no
b. Silver Jr., said that the fact that all the far
mers in Hartford county buy their cattle instead
of raising them Is convincing proof that there
few cattle, but to raise calves on our high priced
land is too much waste of capital.
calf that did not pay. If it pays to buy scrubs it
pays to raise them, If you want them. but of
course it pays better to raise good stock; Il pays
to raise calves either for COWS or beef. IL he had
a stock farm and the means he would prefer to
raise them. 1t costs very little to raise calf.
Judge James D. Waters said think an affir-
native answer to this question requires that we
should be able to use thoroughbreds, or at least
beef breeds Probably such steers as we can buy
at and years old or $50 are cheaper bought
than raised. But If we can raise thoroughbreds
about as cheaply as we can scrubs. 1t don't by any
means follow that 1t Is cheaper to buy scrubs, or
even good grades, than to raise our own
thoroughbreds. Good Short Horn breeding stock
can now be bought at very little over beef rices.
BY commencing with small herd one may soon
when Short Horns were much higher than they
now bought two heifers and bull-now
have ten cows which, distributing the original
cost among the ten and deducting what have re-
ceived from the sale of the male increase, have
cost me comparatively little more than SO many
native cows would cost. The better the breeding
the better the feeder. We can buy all the scrub
steers we want, or even yer good grades, but we
cannot buy thoroughbred steers. If thorough
breds make better beef and more beef from the
same amount of feed, and IL we cannot buy
thoroughbreds but can raise them nearly as
seems to me almost sef-evident that we ought TO
raise our own stock. The extra number of COWS
keep is not serious matter. For instance have
been in the habit of feeding about 30 head of
steers and keeping or cows for the use of the
farm. Now the natural increase from ten cows
kept to three years old will make the amount of
stock about the same, and expect the ten cows
milk and butter required. believe 900 is con-
sdered a very reasonable profit for fattening 20
od soa hene
count of lot of "a Short Horns, years old, aver
aging 1880 pounds and sold in open market at
$7.T5 per hundred. think it reasonable to as
sumo that we can raise either steers or heifers
old and bring at present prices IS hundred The
demand for the very highest quality of beef is,
and must long continue: much greater than !, the
into market In competition with millions fatten-
ed from Maine to Texas. When we fatten even
many thousands fattened all over the West. but
thoroughbred steers have comparatively speak.
Thos. A. Hays regarded Judge Waters re-
marks as very practical and agreed with them.
WIN. ID. Lee was OF the opinion that Il pays TO
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