Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-06-24
STOCK-F FEEDING.

Facts, Not specuIations, Are What the
Farmers Want.
The high price of meat and the we'll
sustained prices of dairy products at
season when most other farm products
are seriously depressed, seem to show
that stock-raising is likely to be in fu-
ture one of our most profitable indus
TT es. This idea is also strengthened
by the almost universal tendency of
all classes, recent immigrants included,
to use plenty of meat at meals when
eYSx their circumstances enable them
to pay cash for it, and that too, with
out any great consideration for the fU-
ture. The low wages abroad among
the classes who come to this country
and secure SO many thousands of West
ern hOmesteads, has made meat an al
most forbidden luxury in their native
land, but here on farms their oppOr-
tunities for comfort are so much supe-
rior That they feel that meat is at last
within range, and is ali the more rel
ished because hitherto it could not be
obtained.
Then again, as our farming i'm
proves, farmers see more and more the
necessity for manures, and something
that is more rel able than most of tle
patent fertilizers put on the market,
The cit es can not begin to supply the
demand for stable manures and as the
railroads become accommodating and
reasonable as to freights, the defcien-
cies of patent fertilizers will become
still more apparent. The consumption
of dairy products is also increasing in
faster ratio than the population, and
the relief as to household labor afford
ed by creameries and cheese factories
also has a tendency to popularize dairy
ing with thousands who before would
not listen to it. All these circum-
stances favor continued and an ex-
tended increase in stock-bredding for
the early future.
In this connection, then, it seems to
be proper to urge upon intelligent
stock-breeders greater attention to the
details of feeding and less to the nice
ties OF breeding, if they desire to large
ly extend the sales. If the facts as to
the best care necessary by ordinary
farmers to succeed with stock can be
impressed upon them and made IA
III 1ldI, anu puGlf 1uGefeSG awakened to
learn all about it, instead of depending
on traditional habits, there is a great
future, not only for influential breed
ers, but for agriculture in general. If
farmers generally can be induced, per-
suaded, coaxed, enticed, or even driven
to think more about their work, to in
quire as to the reasons for this or that
procedure, they VIII not only become
better and richer farmers, but better
citizens, more anxious to influence the
actions of the Government and much
less the victims OF politicians. What
ever leads them, through the possession
and use of intelligence. to moderate
wealth, is gain to the whole body
polite, and even to the world at large.
They will live better and become better
customers for every kind of traffic that
elevates the race, and they will feel
more interest in the government that
protects them.
A great part of the literature of stock
journals, and of other journals that
treat of stock, relates to the principles
of breeding. to pedigrees, history of |
breeds, sales, how to effect crosses, start |
new breeds. etc. All this is well, and