The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-02-19
The Egis & Intelligencer
Bel Air, Md, February 10, 1886.
DEER CREEK FARMERS CLUB.
PIeurO.PneumOnia- Age for Stock
CattIe--rhe constitutional Convention

honorary members and guests, Messrs. BENZ. Sill
yer. ST.. Jas. NJ. Cain, Henry Cain, A NJ. Fulford
f. NJ Allen, J. p. Silver, Geo. X. Stephenson, S. NJ
Bayless and A. p. Silver.
Messrs Jas Lee, Hays and Hopkins, the com
mlttee of inspection, having performed thei
duty, reported to the club commencing the con
dition of the stock and buildings.
Mr.. Moores from the committee to investigate
and report upon the cases of pleuro- pneumon;
in the county reported that the State Veterin
arian, DR.. Ward, had examined Mr.. j. H. Quin
by's cows, near the Hickory, and PRONOUNCED thu
disease among them pleuro-pneumonia. Two hat
died and two had been killed; MIR, Fnltord ant
tle They U all looked healthy. MIR. Qninby'
cattle we're quarantined. Before this wa
done however ,gbno calf was oS sold p, BY hr
whom it was sold to another neighbor, Mr.. H. w
II. Jones. A COW belonging to Patrick Cain hat
also broken the fence and got with Mr.. Quinbyi
cattle. Messrs. Blake, Jones and Gains cattle hat
also been quarantined. Mr.. Moores thought tht
only way to exterminate the disease was to xii
the entire herd as soon as the disease appears.
Mr. A. NJ. Fulford said that only $4,000 had
been appropriated under the peuro-pneumoniu
law to pay for cattle slaughtered, and for the
State Veterinarians salary and travelling eN-
penses lie did not consider this enough, for
when the disease breaks out the .S whole herd
at Mr. VIM. Davsons was very light. Compar-
ed with that at MIR. Eldridge Gallup's, few years
ago itwas like scarlet rash compared with scarlet
fever After three months quarantine Mr.. Davi-
son was granted permission to remove the ami
mails for saughter nu. h3I 10 SCH mem c ,he
some action as a body TO urge the Legislature to
pass law to meet the case and appropriate at
least 100000 for the next TWO years TO carry out
Several of the members enquired whether or
not DIR. Ward had done his duty In the case OF Mr..
Davison's cattle.
was very careful and attentive and there was no
reason why any fault should be found with him.
Messrs. X. Harris Archer, b. Silver, Jr., and A.
NJ. Fulford were appointed committee to look
into the pleuro- pneumonia law ana suggest h 10
sary for the more prompt and sure eradication
of the disease.
Mr.. b. Silver, Jr said that Mr. Archer and
himself, who are members of the Legislature,
would give their especial attention to this matter
Mr.. d. NJ. Allen thought that pleuro pncu-
monia and other diseases among cattle are enRen-
dered in foul stables in Baltimore, in which cat
tie are kept in stalls sometimes for years and
fed on swill from distilleres.
The club then discussed the following ques-
ton: ...-....
should cattle b bought, in order to etze the
greatest profit in the production of beef?"
BENZ. Silver, ST., said his observation and ex-
perience in buying cattle bad led him to the con-
clusion that steer from ~ to 3years OLD would
put on greater number of pounds weight in Il
given time than one older but if you want o
make steer very fat for foreign market, you
should buy one not less than 3 years old. In q
youn4 steer the food goes TO make b ne and
muscle and in the more mature animal 1t goes to
increase the fairness.
Jas NJ. Cain buys cattle from ~ to 3 years old.
He had found that there was greater Increase
and more profit from pasturng than from winter
feeding. He had commenced feeding some on
the lst of December, selling them on the LIST OF
April, the increase being $40 lbs. per steer. Last
year he had wintered some in the field, with fod-
der, and some hay, fatt ening them on grass,
and the gain was nearly earl tS O D per steer II, he
kept over until the next fall they should be "a
years old. If they ave to be fattenei and sold in
the spring you should buy year old cattle. He
had gain of 500 lbs. on each steer, by feeding one
gallon of meal per day to each during the
wner together with p gay ana I6daer Ia LAST year
John Moores said the cattle should be well
selected. If they are TO be kept over they should
be2k or 3 years old, but if wanted for a June or
July market or years is better age II they
to be fattened entirely in the stable4 or years
is the best age Cattle OF this age can be !atten-
ed on good clover hay and fodder. Two-year old
steers with this feed would scarcely keep their
weight until spring, probably because OF the for
nation of bone and muscle
VIM. Munnkhuysen had made more profit out
of calves than older animals.
Geo. II. Stephenson said that the nearer steer is
to maturity the greater amount of fat 1t Will put
on from given amount of feed. but he thought
more money 10 made in the first year of an ami
mails growth than in the two subsequent years.
H. Spalding had raised a few steers with profit.
but thought If all farmers raised calves the mar
ket would be overstocked.
S. Martin Bayless generally handles two 10
three-year old cattle, fattening them on grass.
When they are kept in stalls cattle 3 or 4 years
old will fatten faster.
Geo. E. Silver said cattle will gain more pounds
the first year than the second and more the sec
ond than the third year ne fead o Ghe mt or
animal that at IL months weighed l,40O lbs, and
had cost little over cts. per 10; at "a months,
1t had gained $50 lbs, at cost OF AZ cts per ~
at SO months. the gain was 200 lbs at cost of N
cts. per Id. While more pounds are put on during
the first year he did not see how we were all to
raise calves, because they are not fit Tor market
at one year and must be grazed by somebody. 1t
would be practicable and profitable to buy Ger
tain number of wel-bred calves, or months
old, which could be made fit tor market at ~
years old, when they would weigh from l,iO 10
i,3O0l
j. i. Silver said that if he wanted cattle to keep
over he would buy them from ~ to years old,
but if for stall feeding would prefer them years
He believed that we can no longer proftably
keep cattle "a year, but must get them to market
earlier, say by the LIST of July. Heretofore we
have been wntering cattle on fodder ana straw;
If we have good season for grass we do well. III
not our cattle are late and come into market In
competition with fat cattle from Virginia and the
West.
James Lee said young steer, with the same
amount of food, will put on more pounds than an
older one. If you want TO fatten for June mar .
ket ~ years is old enough. He had found that
at that age they gain more than at years oid.
The older cattle put on more tallow than INC
younger. He had had a home.raised steer that
at 2S months old weighed 1900 lbs. The greatest
gain was the first year. He regarded 2H years as
the best age for any purpose ne Is Feeding nov
cut provender, and about 2 lbs. OF cotton SEED ~
addition to each steer. These are to be prepared
for the June market. His grass cattle are fed
entirely on rough provender in the barn yard
and get no grain.
A. P. Silver said that if we expect to Craze Q
steer the younger animal will have the advantage
of growth as well as increase in fattening. Ii zoe
young an animal will grow faster than it viii
fatten.
E. NJ. Allen said that to gain the most number
of pounds he would buy calves weighing 800 OF
600 lbs. in the fall and sell them the mex, next fall
when they would weigh 1000 lbs. TWO suck
calves could be kept on the same proVender rs
steer weighing 800 lbs The gain on the latter
might be 800 lbs, while on the two calves it wouic
be 800 lbs.
Bennett H. Barnes prefers cattle 3K years old
He had found that there was more pront in sell
ing home-raised steers at 2& years than at any
other age.
Johns H. Janney argued that it would pay bet
ter for farmers to buy calves and sell them at "a
years when they would weigh 1900 lbs. He reaC
summary of statistics from the Fat Stock SHOW
at Chicago, which showed that at 3JO DAYS old cat
tie weighed 700 lbs a gain of 90 lbs per day; INT
next 1926 days the gain was 1T6 lbs. per day: the
next 30l days they gained only IS Id. per day an'
production was for the first IL months 4.Ol cent
per h. The gain the second year was at a cost o
66l cents per h., and the gain OF me 1hiSd ySa
go to prove that the older an animal is the NOR
it takes to support life and the less goes to IA
No steer over three years OF age can De kept VIII
S. b. Silver said that the younger an animal
the greater number of pounds 1t VIII put on pc
day If we'll fed and attended to. IL would b
difficult to change our system of grazing, and con
sequently are not able to carry out this theC
ry, but If we could we would find it would max
A.. M Fulford said it would pay better to han
die younger cattle, for the reason that our none
comes back sooner and the shorter period the
are kept diminishes the danger of loss. Durln
the younger period the AMI ma not only gain
more rapidly but at less expense per pound. L
keep enough young cattle to eat up the rong
provender on farm would require more staDl
room than the present system.
b. Silver, Jr, the President, did Lot behey
there would In the future be much money mao
on cattle by Hartford county farmers, on accour
of the competition in the West. There herds ar
rapidly duplicating and re-dupcatng, railroa
facilities are improving, and in rev years WI
get nearer the point of growth of cattle. Cattl
are driven to large abattoirs in the West, slaugf
tered and shipped East. We cannot compel
with this beef. The time is coming when "
must change our mode of cattle business, but "
must have cattle to tramp our fields, make th
soil compact and keep 1t from washing.
Mr. Moores did not think the cattle business
in such desperate condition, In 1Si5 cattle wei
not worth one-half as much as now. MIR. ALE
said that in 1874 he had seen fat cattle sold in Ba
timore at Ia cts. per lb. .
b. Silver, Jr said he desired to ascertain III