The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-04-29
Profitable ~Stock.Naisihk,

At the cluse Of tho war I Was convinced that max.
Ing c"ttnn on large plantntinns with free labor Would
l could do to make money at farming. / first went to
Ing blue grass region IL Kentucky, where ! found
lands worth $lN per acre and renting for ter dollars
per acre including woods pasture, upon which to
RAISE title and mules. Then | went t. Middle Ten
nrsscr. where | fund iutt a. good land renting for
five dollars per acrr, for cleared land, and the woods
pasture thrown in, upon which to raise cotlon.
This ret rs to thinking about stuck aud grain, and
l sn0n saw That cotton did not pay, but that stuck
raising did. l found the farmers who rai.ed stock
had nice horses. carriages. good houses and c%0nsllrrn'
BILE money. / next Travelled over some Of the cottnn
growing States, where ] saw puor horses, poor mules
being In debt and generally discouraged. Iwas, there
furc, convinced that the "nll co,tnn' plan wUnld not
do. / began the study 81 grasses to See II the Cotton
States could be made n stuck -raising country, snd
soon found that these States could raise more grass
and better to feed NIL kinds Of stock than even the
far. f'n,r! country OF Kentucky that IN account Of
our mild cliinntc, the longer time that stock could
craze. we could raise n pound III meat fer one. fifth
what Il Gust In the west. Ialso funnd that with cheap
cnttnn seed We cnuld prepare beef cattle fur the winter
market at less than two cents per pound for al flesh
pnt un, while In the North It Gust ten CENTS t" do the
saline thing. In Kentucky | saw a lot Of Coy bxef
owner or the rattle weighed them IT. the feeders ut three
and q hnlf cents Ier IUand. LIVE We ght, on the first
day OF November and agreed to lake them hack md
pny five cents per pound on tho Tlrst day Of Jnne fol-
lowing. l asked a cattle man who was present II the
feeder would make any it"ney an the contract. lie
enid, mo, he could not tn1d him It conld b. done
In the Chiffon States for half the money. lie laughed
ut the idea and told inc l knew nothing abuut feeding
cattle. That winter the Agricultural and Mechanical
College, Of Mississippi, made an experiment In feed.
Ing n lot OF scrub cattle on boiled c0ltoii seed nhd hny,
md during midi winter put on an average f 2G
pounds of flesh on them for $5n per head. Now. II
the Kentucky feeder could have done this, his profits
would have been 1880 per steer, or 81 1921 profit on
tbe ffty.six steers for one wintor's work. Besides
this profit for feeding cotton seed. the Southern feeder
would have had three months time to Craze them on
grass, which would have made a clear profit Of fvo to
eight dn!luls more. This, to me. was conclusive evil
dcnce that the Cotton States was mrch better land tO
ri SO md fntten beef than even Kentucky. The rea'
soning nOlds good for r Using horses, mnlea or sheep
As for grass, although 1t has long been said that 2ood
n%utritl"us grasses could not be raised n'tEe Cotton
States, It Inns been found that We can raise grass upon
grnss is the cheapest fHod upon which cattlo can be
raised, It Is evident that when the young men VI the
Cotton States learn how to handle them, money can b,
easily made Mt the business. In looking back Oycs
VIC have pursued Inns been q very suicidal ono. 1t |,
snid that the South has sent North In that time a.,
s0O, eNp,iW0 tor .ineat, meal, flnur, hay, horses and
mules; and that the single state Of Georgia has pnld
within the last ten years, slOO,OG".G0 f"r meat alone
all Of which could have been saved In the South, Il
we had known how ~ do 1t.
Now, young farmers, can't you learn this new mode
OF hrniln@F Can't you study how 10 RINSE stock sue
~eessi4lly' Most writer's will tell you to keep none
but the best improved stock; to get high hired cattle
and sheep. But my advice Is to stick to the native
COW and sheep; get the best blooded males you cal
procure and gradually huill up your he'd rs you learr
how to handle them. The natl We stock are hardy ant
bear o world Of ~nsslect; md cr"ss bred hugs will pn,
much better tbnn tho high-brrd, and make nlnut n,
60 ID IL hog for meet. The native SOW knows better
how t" care for her pigs and VIII lose less than tn,
the native cow when she is well treated. As to shcrp
there 10 no rrnson why they will mot succeed In the
Cotton states-.ll they need being good grass ant
clean water, with shelter during hrfrl raIns In winter
A pint OF cotton sect twice each day Will Keep theu
In good orler during winter. and ut lambing will pro
duce oil the milk the limb needs. Al 10 the profits I"
sheeprntsing, | have known 1u:ks Of 800 head to pay
100 per cent. Der annuIn for five years. But to MAKE
this profitable requires q knowledge OF the business
then care and industry. AS to the kinds Of bucks t,
Use will depend npon whether the flock Is worked fm
lntnbs and wool or fUr wool alone. l rather think, nj
q general rule. 1t would BE- best to cross a native Il ,cs
first with CUtswold bucks 10 give size and fleece; ther
cross these with snnthlown fer mutton qualities
Then to CROSS the flock alternately With CoiswOld nn,
sOuthdown bucks will give good size. good fleece ant
good mutton. The time is hot distant when goot
mutton will sell we'll in Southern CITIES and ut a pay
Ing price. There are two kinds Of lambs sent /
market: First. the small lamb Of about fifty pound;
live weight, that Is ready for market In the SDuil
about the first Of May, another, where the lamb Is vel
feed during the simmer and fall and sent to mark
about January. This class Of lambs shOnld wrlpl
about $50 pounds live weight and Is now worth abnu
six cents Per pound or nine dollars. But to do ih
they must be we'll i-l and a gnmi sheep. Poor nut
ton Is worthless, and no meat Is better than god a,ut
ton. Remember one rule, always keep y"ur fucl
fat and Sell no young ewes; always fatten and sell oil,
ones" This will kerp your flock benllhy nn'l smooth
Gnt M lind Of stock pays So wei! or are so littl
liable tn disease rs horses and mulrs. 1t requires
however, lnrge capital tn deal In these exclusively. s
the better why Is to handle sMie ~ all kinds. Al
cntton and commercial fertilizers will certainly rnit
the South during the next generation, while genera
farming. with homemade manure and grass will bin
oil tlr old worn"ut iarus tu their original fertility
JrIOusus 1855 J. III. MOOLE.