Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-06-12
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.
The Reef Supply.

AhN A~NGA HaHPANs
Mr.. Edward Atkinson, who is recog-
nized authority on questions pertaining
to the principal economies of life, pre-
diets that within fifteen or twenty years
the city of Boston will be wholly sup
piled with beef raised within an area of
fifty miles from her own limits, and In
support of his theory he AYERS that a
four-year-old steer can now be raised In
that locality for $50. 1t is likely that
Mr. Atkinson's expectations as to the
future are somewhat extravagant. and it
is probable that his estimate of the cost
of raising cattle in Massachusetts at the
present time is too low, although it is to
be observed that he says nothing of the
expense of fattening them for market,
which is an item not to be lost sight of
in any calculations that may be made on
the subject But, whether he is wholly
or only partially correct, it is certain that
very large proportion of the fresh beef
supply of the country can be raised
much nearer to the points of con-
sumption than it is now, and
with decided advantage to both
producer and consumer. The
two chief factors in the problem ARE,
first, the selection of the best varieties
of stock for beef-making, and, after
that, intelligent and persistent efforts on
the part of farmers to make the expert
ment a success. These essential points
secured, and with the relations between
land and stock properly understood and
adjusted, a certain number of cattle can
be maintained on nearly every farm, so
as to become a sure and material source
of revenue to the farmer, and without
interfering seriously with the other or
binary products of the place. Indeed,
with judicious management small herd
ought to be kept so as to be an advan-
tage to the soil instead of drain upon
its productive capacity.
1t is certain, furthermore, that before
many years have gone by the supply of
fresh beef must be drawn much more
largely from the small farms east of the
Mississippi than it now is. AS the over
bearing tide of emigration moves west
the immense cattle ranges of the
interior will be broken up, and the
vast areas of land now devoted
wholly to grazing purposes will
become the homes of actual settlers,
whose chief business for long time will
be the raising of cereals and the provi-
ding of food for home consumption.
The yield of beef from that section must,
therefore, be greatly reduced. The reign
of the cattle kings of the present day
will be practically at an end, and their
place in relation to the markets of the
world will be taken by those who join
cattle raising in moderate degree with
tlllage of the soil.
These are points that should not be
overlooked by the farmers of the middle
and eastern States. The odds against
them as stock growers will not then be
so great as now, and the single item of
expense saved from long transportation
will alone be a material one in their
favor. The change may not come as
soon as Mr.. Atkinson expects, and it will
not be at once general in its effects, as a
matter of course. 1t is pretty certain to
come, however; and those who are wise
enough to foresee the tendencies of the
times, and enterprising enough to adapt
themselves to new orders of things as
they come about are the people who reap
the earliest and richest harvests. - Wash
ingtOn Star.