The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-10-23


So much has been written during the
past few years about the profits of beef
production on the range and ranch that
many farmers owning from fourth to
an entire section of land have come to
the conclusion that they can not sue
cessfully compete with the ''bcef bar
ons" in supplying the market with
meat. They accordingly rejoice that
the president has turned these gentle
men out of Indian Territory, and has
ordered their fences removed on all
parts of the public domain. That these
orders will result in diminishing the
profits of the range and ranch men
and increasing those of persons who
keep cattle on their own farms seems
certain. In the future capitalists who
are able TO purchase several thousand
head of cattle can not appropriate
large tracts of land belonging to the
nation or included in Indian rcserva-
tions and devote them to pasturing cat
tie on which they pay no taxes. Per-
sons who keep stock on their own
farms will be nearer on an equality
with the ranch and range men in the
matter of expenses. They can not do
as extensive business. but the capital
they have invested in it will pay as
large dividends and be subject to fewer
chances of loss. In all probability the
competition of the ranch and range
cattle will diminish year by year.
In many respects the man who keeps
cattle on his own farm has better
prospect for success than one who
keeps them on ranch or free range.
He can have personal oversight of
them all the time. II an animal is all
ing he can take it from the herd and
nurse it till it becomes we'll. He can
recover his animals if they are stolen,
though thefts will not be likely to &C.
cur in civilized community. He can
give extra feed to young cattle that do
not thrive well on grass alone. He
can inspect all his animals every day
and note the condition of each. He
will experience no losses by having an
finals stray away from the herd. He
can furnish them with cut food during
timas of protractod drought. Hs can
furnish them with protection during
storms and throughout the winter sea-
son. He can keep them free from ver-
min. He can so manage that they
have an abundance of pure and cold
water at times when cattle on the
plains greatly suffer from thirst. He
can furnish them with salt with very
little trouble or expense. He can pro-
tect them from the sun by raising trees
or building cheap sheds. In short, he
can keep them in the best possible con-
dition to thrive and gain during the
entire year. Few of these things can
be done by persons owning large herds
of cattle left 10 roam over the great
western plains.
Much has been written about tho
rapid increase of cattle kept on the
range and ranch. But tho increase on
farms is still greater. Many calves
are lost when a large herd is left in the
hands of cowboys. Cows that have
recently dropped calves are in an en-
feebled condition and require special
care. They are liable to many discas-
es, such as fever and caked bag. I'M
less they are taken from herd and
carefully nurscd they are likely to die
A motherless calf on the range or
ranch is almost certain TO die. There
are no facilities for bringing it up by
hand. Good nursing is as necessary
to the raising of large herd of cattle
as to bringing up a family of children.
On the ranch and range 'thc fittest
survive" but on the farm nearly all
do On farm COW will, in addition
to bringing up calf, furnish large
amount of milk to be used in the fami-
ly, to be used in making butter and
cheese. or TO be fed to pigs. Calves
can be weancd on tho farm much bet
ter than on the range or ranch. They
can at the proper age be isolated from
the herd, fed on skinned milk or CRU
81, and gradually taught to eat grass.
hay, and grain. The mothers, released
from the care of their calves, will soon
gain in condition and flesh. Range
and ranch cows are kept poor by their
calves during the entire summer and
fall.
Persons who raise cattle On faxRs