The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-08-21


meeting of the Deer Creek Farmers Club the
subject discussed "Does it pay to raise stock
If so what kind are most proftable?" We give
below the views of some of the members upon this
| subject
James w. Hanna was of the opinion that II
would pay to raise stock of all kinds to certain
extent For instance, it would pay to raise and
sell one or two colts every year. He prefers to
cross large, muscular mares with Percheron horses
The colts from this cross are large, make fine
workers, good drivers and will sell well at any
time. A farmer should also raise all his best
calves, either for milk, butter or beef He doubt
ed whether there was any profit here in raising
stock cattle to sell. There is more profit in rails
ing sheep than any other stock. With flock Of
sheep you can double your money in less than Q
year. A few years ago he bought rs ewes, Cots
void crossed with Southdown. They gave 102
lambs, of which he raised So and sold them al
So so each, making $332.50. The wool brought
$S4.6O, making $4l7.1O in all. They cost So rs q
piece, or $243.75. Thus the net profit was $l73.-
35, with the rs ewes still on hand and worth 3d..
so each, which was the price at which he sold
some of them. His Investment of $243.75 in less
than one year had increased to $439.35.
James Lee said he believed it would pay better
to raise horses and mules than to buy themes
pecially heavy draft horses. These may be had
by crossing Percherons with large mares. Rails
ing mules might be more profitable than raising
horses. Blooded horses are not profitable here.
1t will pay to raise calves from our good cows,
but it would not pay to keep cows especially for
raising calves. Hogs are profitable also.
Robert f. Hanna was in favor of raising horses.
good colt at years old will be worth from $3.50
to 5000. Sheep had paid him from 100 to $50 per
cent. every year. 1t is better to buy stock sheep
and sell the lambs instead of raising them.
Edward P. Moores said the advisability of rails
ing stock depends on the way farmer is situa-
ted. 1t will not pay on o small farm, all of which
is under cultivation but O large farm, where
there is waste land, it would be profitable. He
thought the estimate of cost for raising colt was
exaggerated. Sheep will pay better than any
other stock.
BH Barnes believed nearly every kind of stock
can be raised with profit. There is some profit in
raising horses, particularly if they are sold at the
command fair price. He thought the Cleveland
Bay the best horse to breed from. The colts are
of good colors, good dispositions and large enough
to make good coach horses. pair of good
Cleveland bays, weighing 1900 lbs. each would
sell for $1,000. The Percherons are too large,
generally, for our purposes. There is also some
profit in sheep. AS to hogs, ifyou put feed in al
most any kind of hog it will come out right.
VIM. Munnikhuysent thought every farmer should
raise some stock. In doing this the most impor-
tant thing is to have pure bred males. If dairy
CATTLE have pure-bred Jersey bull or for beet
a pure brel Shorthorn. In breeding horses it is
especially important to have pure-bred male.
Colts produced by cross of the Percheron with
our mares would be the most profitable. Every
body tries to raise fancy horses, and if they have
not speed they are of no use. A big horse will
sell anywhere. There may be some profit in rails
ing mules but they are not as saleable as they
were few years ago. With the Percherons you
are almost certain to get matches, which is great
advantage in selling large horses. Sheep and
hogs are profitable. Ifyou want to improve your
stock of any kind invariably breed from pure. bred
males.
John Moores said if there is no profit in raising
stock he don't know where there is any profit for
the farmer. Farmers recognize this fact and more
colts and young cattle are being raised now than
ever before. Farmers ought to be encouraged to
raise horses; but not mules. With mules on a
farm you are at your ropes end and can't raise
colts. 1t well to raise few of all kinds-horses,
cattle, sheep, hogs, even poultry. Then you will
always have something to sell.
r. Harris Archer thought it depended very
much upon how man is situated whether he can
proftably raise stock or not. On small farm,
with nice clean land, if you raise colts, calves,
pigs, sheep and chickens the place will soon be
Overrun and your grass all eaten up. There is
now a mania for raising colts, but it may be run
into the ground. 1t will take four years before
you get your money back and by that time
horses may be cheap. On good farm of say 100
acres it will pay better to fatten Is cattle every
year than to raise much stock.
VIM. Webster said no farmer should buy what
he can raise. There is g profit in raising all the
stock he needs. No matter how small the farm is,
the farmer can raise colt, calf or few sheep.
All the good calves should be raised, and farmer
should raise hogs. Sheep are the most profitable
stock to raise. Ifyou want good flock you must
raise them. The plan is to buy good stock ewes
and pure-bred buck. Every year keep from
to II of the best ewes. The profit may not be so
great as from buying stock ewes every year or
two, but there is much satisfaction in observing
the improvement of the flock. He would say
there is profit in raising stock of all kinds, but he
would make no specially of any particular kind.
Judge Jas. D. Waters said raising certain
amount of stock is an essential part of every far
mer's work. There is no question that it pays.
1t is necessary to keep cows for milk and butter
and it certainly pays to raise scalv A farmer
must have work stock and it pays to raise colts.
Instead of keeping mules to do the work, keep
some mares and raise colt between times. A
farmer has no business with thorough bred
horse, but should raise good-sized horses. For
these he can get good prices. Judge Waters
prefers the PercherOns. If farmer keeps Jersey
COWS it will pay to raise the heifers but not the
male calves.
R. John Rogers, the president, said that he
agreed generally with the other members. On a
small farm if farmer raises little stock of every
kind he is apt to get overstocked, and never have
anything to bring in money except by dribs. He
would rather raise three or four cattle than one
horse. A colt is not of much account until four
years old and the chances are that when broken
he will not be what you want, or what anybody
else wants. There is no use taking heavy horse
to the city until he is or years old. He thought
heavy horses crossed with mares would make the
most desirable stock. Sheep not profitable on
a small farm, because they can not work up the
rough provender. There is not much difference
in the relative profit of raising any kind of stock
that a farmer can raise.