Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-02-06
Our Shame.
Shirt of the Farm

Stock raisers should take advantage |
OF the experience of the past winter
and fall and not find themselves in
the same situation again. A refer
ence to our cattle market reports for
that period will explain our mean
ing. Each week the report comes
steadily from the stock yards: "Fat
cattle in demand and prices good
poor cattle and scalawags not wanted;
yards full and no buyers" This
ought to teach the farmers of Tennes-
see what we have been trying to in
culcate all the time-never put hoof
on the market until ready for sale.
And to make it ready for sale it must
be fat. That is the sine qua noel.
They must be fat or the carcass is
thrown away. Cattle are raised, it is
presumed for market, and unless in a
proper condition arenotready forsale.
A carcass is nothing more than a We
hicle for the sale of grain and hay.
A farmer can get far more for his pro-
duce crowded into carcas than into
a wagon. The sale of poor cattle
evinces poor management and thrift
less management. They are poor
from several causes. A farmer has
too many cattle for the size of his
farm, or his farming is so poor he
makes nothing to fatten them on. If
overstocked, it is right he should re-
duce the number, but in doing so he
should select time when they are
in good order. Nature furnishes
food enough during summer and fall,
ordinarily, to put all stock in good
order, and it is the farmers fault if
he does not take advantage of it. If
he refuses or fails to sell from weight
while in good condition, and waits
for better prices until they get poor,
he forfeits his reputation as a good
farmer. Unless he has provision to
keep them until prices advance he
should, by all means sell when they
are fat. If he does keep them over
for this purpose he should not stint
the food, but give it in sufficient
quantity to put them for the highest
price our market affords. TO eXem-
plify this idea, last fall when two and
half cents was the highest price of
fered here at the stock yards q Sum-
ner county farmer, at his home, sold
his herd of fat cattle to a Nashville
firm at three and a half cents, and
sent them off to Louisville, because
they could sell them there for beef at
profit. 1t may have been, and is
so charged by many, that this firm
would not have paid so much if the
cattle had been brought here. This
may have been the case; we have
nothing to say about that, only if it
is so, it is poor commentary on our
traders. Nevertheless, this single
example shows the great advantage
Of having fat instead of lean cattle for
sale. 1t is still so at the stock yards.
They are still overlooking with scala
wags, selling at any offer made for
them. Such economy will bring any
farmer or any set of farmers to want.
The profits on cattle are very short
with the best of management, and to
sell that way involves positive loss.
We accidentally heard traveller
commencing the beef at one of our
principal hotels, and he asked the
manager where he bought it. The
answer surprised us no little. He
said he bought it in st. Louis. Think
ofpeople going to st Louis for beef,
living in the midst of fine bluegrass
country, one of the finest in the world
We are also reliably informed that
two or three car loads of beef are
brought here by our butchers every
week from neighboring city. 1t is
not that we have no fat cattle here al
all; the sales for Christmas bee
shows differently, but that we have
no regular supply of fat cattle. This
looking at the large number Of poor
cattle offered weekly, is a shame t.
our country and should be rectifed
1t can only be done by never selling
cattle until they are ready for sale.
The Electoral College.