Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-02-04

muscle than that intended for butcher,
for, as flesh to be eaten. the more
equally the lean is interspersed with
fat the more valuable the meat. This
is best attained by giving more fat
forming food that would be necessary
to the animal intended for milk or
labor. In one case the most profit is
gotten by course of feeding that will
bring the animal to the block in the
shortest possible time, IN connection
with such exercise as shall keep the
body in perfect health, so that the di-
gestion may be perfect. In the other
case exercise enough must be given,
not only to conserve health, but the
muscles must have exercise enough
to strengthen the system in every
part. The tendency to Eat must be
kept down by strong exercise, for only
IN this way can perfect development
be accomplished.
There must be far more daily waste
in tie animal intended as breeder or
for milk than in the fattening ami
NAL. The fattening animal ends it's
life in one, two or three years, as the
case may oe. The animal of contin-
ued use lives or should live out its nat
ural life. Hence, although fed at a
greater waste of material until mature
this is economical waste, since it in
sures perfect development during the
whole life Of the animal. Yet it comes
back III profit, and, if more slowly,
nevertheless as surely as in the case
of the animal forced early to fit
state for the butcher. The secret in
feeding is to feed high, but to modify
the exercise according to the ultimate
end Tor which an animal is intended.
1t must be to the extreme point of pro-
6table endurance. But this profitable
point may be great in the horse in
tended for labor, less so in breeding
animals, and least of all in animals
fed solely for slaughter.
Poultry for Farm Use.
On many farms the general practice
is to send nearly all the fowls raised
to market and to supply the family
with pork. AS choice fowls some
times bring high prices In the city
market, many farmers think that they
can not afford to eat them. But,
taking one consideration with an
other" it is likely that most farmers
would be gamers by. sending more
hogs to market and using more fowls
on their own tables. Live or dressed
hogs are now sent to market very
cheapIy, and the commissions for sell
ing them are quite small. They are
easily handled, and are transported
in car load lots. At almost every
railway station in the northwest there
are persons who buy fat hogs during
the entire packing season, and there is
generally good market for them at
other times in the year. The market
ing of fowls, however, is attended by
much trouble and expense. It costs
considerable to make coops for send
ing live fowls to market, and the
birds they contain must be supplied
with food and water during their
journey. If sent by express the
charge of transportation is high, and
the commission men charge much
more for selling live or dressed fowls
than they do for selling hogs and cat
tie. The expressage aud commissions
largely reduce the sum the farmer re-
ceives for his fowls.
The price Of fowls in a city market
fuctuates much more than that of
cattle and hogs. The latter can be
conveniently and economically kept
for several days in stock yards if the
market happens to be temporarily
overstocked. During the cooler por-
tons of the year, however, packers
stand ready to buy cattle and hogs,
which they keep at their own expense
till they have time and opportunity to
slaughter them. Any large city, how
ever, is very likely to be overstocked
with live and dressed fowls. When
this is the case prices are often low.
IF the weather is unfavorable they
can not be sent east, even if there is
good demand for them there. Some
times they can be disposed of at can
ming establishment, but if this is the
case they will bring only a low price.
It is not unfrequently the case that
fowls are sold for a smaller price per
pound than good beef brings. During
the winter holiday season the Chicago
market is often overstocked with pou1-
try. The market then is generally
well supplied with game, choice fish
and Stalled beef. Fewer fowls
are sold than people in the
country suppose. They are often kept
some tune for an advance in price.
and then sold for little more than
enough to pay the cost of transporta-
ticn and selling.
The fowls that bring very high
prices are those that are young, in
fine condition, carefully plucked, and
which are sent to market at times IA
the year when there is comparative
" scarcity of game and very choice
meat. Spring chickens are wanted as
soon as asparagus and green peas are
in the market, and epicures are then
willing to pay very high prices for
them. Chickens at size to broil
when the first asparagus comes to