The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-06-11
STOCK RAISING
IN THE NORTHWEST.


Experience during the winter
Or 1884 and 1885.
The following letter was written
In reply to one Of the numerous en-.
quiries madc In regard to the expert.
ence Of parties engaged II the busi-
ness Of stock raising ID northwest.
Srn Minnesota and Dakota, and
shows, cOnclusively, the advanta1es
to DO gained In that section Of the
country, also gives actual figures
to provo the correctness OF the vari.
Gus assertions made.
The article speaks for itself. and
will be read with interest and profit,
ST. PAUL, March "a, 1856.
s. 7. WARHEx, Albany, N. Y.
dean SIR:-Your favor Of late date,
making enquiry as 70 stock raising
Ia NORTHWESTERN Minnesota, received.
Your inquiries cover such . scope
that ] can not answer In q better way
than BY giving you the result Of my
own experience In tho business.
The idea seems to prevail that
because Minnesota II ono Of the
northwestern states II must Of nee.
essity be too cold, the winter season
too long and cost offecding through
the winter too great to admit Of any
profit In raising stock. The fact is,
Ill Of these conditions apply equally
as well to the New England States.
70 Canada, northern New York,
Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, northern
Illinois and northern lows, and yet
In all these states. with land ranging
In price twenty-five to two hundred
dollars an acre, stock raising has,
for many years, been considered the
most profitable business q farmer
can engage In. This one factor,
therefore, being equal. We have to-
commence with one element OF profit
In much cheaper lands. tho others
are an unlimited supply Of native
grasses as nutritious as the best Of
those that are cultivated, an abund.
ance Of pure water in both lake and
stream, q soil and climate that en-
ablss us to raise, In the greatest
profusioD, and at . minimum cost,
grains, roots and grasses OF every
kind for feed. Our climate 90
noted for It's health and strength
giving properties to the human
family, Is equally beneficial to stock
Of all kinds. Cheap winter shelter
IL also q very important item with
as, our dry, clear winters permit
ting outdoor storage OF hay without
danger OF loss. while the eastern
and middle state farmer has to build
barns, In which to protect from
winter storms not only his stock,
but all OF their feed % well. /
charge 10 per cent. on cost OF build
ing as the cost Of winter shelter; A.
this rate my stock is being sheltered
for not to exceed 75c. per head for
the season.
Shelter, plenty Of feed and proper
care are essential elements OF suc-
cess In raising stock, whether In Da-
kota or Illinois, but with these I am
prepared to state positively that We
can breed and raise stock Of all
kinds with more profit than In any
OF the eastern, northern or middle
states.
Now for q few facts aud figures to
prove my assertions On the S0th
Of April last / turned our cattle on to
their summer pastures, then weigh.
ing every animal, young and old. -
they went from the barns, GALL are
marked with q numbered tag In the
ear,so that each one can be identi.
ded.) They were brought in from
pastures about the middle Of Dc.
tober and turned into the harm lots
and adjoining fields, but not under
cover until Nov, Is; during these
four weeks they we're given all the
corn fodder and Oat straw they
would eat, with . few roots, but no
hay or grain. On the 18th Of No.
vcmber each one was agsin weighed
and then put into winter quarters,
and the gain on summer pasturago
on each animal noted.
| OF our non breeding stock, the
smallest gain In actual weight WAS
on . native cow, three years old
past, weight April 3Oth, 1000 ibs..
Nov. 18th, l,OASibs. the largest gain.
also three year old past COW, April
3Oth, 045 Ms, Nov. 18th. $500 Ms. OF
. gain OF $50 Ms, or 308.lO per cent.
Ia the 100 days. Tho best relative
gain in same time were on : year.
ling heifer, going out at $40 Ms, and
coming In at $50 lbs. and . year
ling steer, going out ct $50 and
coming In ut $50 Ms, the aggregate
average gain on all the non-breed-
ing stock being Al As per cent. on
their weights OF April 3Oth. On the
entire herd, including the breeding
cows. the average gain IN weight
during same tiNs Was IA per- gent.
Bear in mind that this WAS excln-
sively on native prairie yrsss until
brought In from the pastures: also,
lii may be well to say here chat the
stock here referred to is native stock
| principally, with few head having
one cross OF the shorthoru.
From 70 cows We now have 60
calves az per cent? The only loss
In this last year has been One COW,
killed "a 1pcOnpt OF injuries sus-
tanned. A. to Yinter carp and feed
ing, With tho exception 81 Milch
cows, = few head Of pura bred Short
horns aud those now In the stalls
for fattening' we are carrying our
entire herd through the winter on Q
daily feed Of Il quarts Of ground
oats. 10 pounds Of hay and free run
to oat straw rick. ut . cost Of net to
exceed Sc. per day; by actual Test on
the scales they show an average
gain OF n. per day for each head.
Every day this winter they have
been turncl put Of the barn before
nine IN the morpspS ind remained
out until about Ave IN the afternoon,
haviAg free access to water and oss
straw all day.
On cattle put Ny tor iltteping We
have made an average Of 81 Ms. per
day on some, aud from 2 to q lbs. on
others, from the middle Of N0yenl-
her, on food raised on the farm, not
one cent Of outlay for oil cake. bran
or meal, and Ut . cost that gave =
good per cent. Of profit on the
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