River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-07-26
IMPROVED LIVESTOCK.
Some Timely Suggestions on the ImpOr
lance of Raising Good Cattle.

Some Timely Suggestions on the ImpOr-
tance of Raising Good Cattle.
do not wish to be understood that
the general farmer must be breeder
of thoroughbred stock, but in my
opinion he must improve the stock he
already has, for it is an undisputed
fact that the scrub will always bring
its breeder and feeder out in debt.
With our low prices of produce, we
must make the land produce all that
is possible, and so dispose of the prod
uce that it will bring the most money,
and know of no better way to accom-
plish this than to combine the raising
of improved stock with our farming
As proof of this, let us look back to
our mother country, old England, with
her high rents and taxes, and
we find that they were obliged
to improve their stock, and
with this they have brought their
. soil up to the highest state OF
cultivation. IN Holland, too, we find
them improving their stock in certain
lines for untold years. We are told
that the people of Holland are slow to
adopt new methods, but yet we find
them with improved stock as a neces-
sity to profitable agriculture. On the
little island of Jersey, with her i'm
mense population and small area OF
land from whence to draw her support,
they We're obliged to improve their
stock so thst it should subsist on the
least possible food and yet produce q
large amount of butter. hence we have
the little Jersey, an animal of very
small stature, but yet a great butter
producer. Our best farmers find il
profitable to procure a full complement
OF the latest improved implements and
to invest in suitable buildings to shell
ter them when not in use, and why
will it not pay to apply the same
rule to our stock? If a scrub COW
that will make six pounds of butter
per week pays for her keep, and, by
the use of a thoroughbred sire from
some of the dairy breeds, her offspring
can be made to produce eight or ten
pounds of butter per week, the cross
has given US a large margin Of profit
where before we had no profit. The
keeper of dairy herd should thor.
oughly test his cows and know whether
they are paying him or not, and i'm
mediately beef the Improbable ones.
January 81 good mixed butchers stock,
fat cows, heifers and light steers, were
quoted at 50. 40 to 3.75 per hundred
weight, that being the best class mar
keted from the common stock of our
country, and on the same day we found
extra good steers, weighing 1900 to
1,450 pounds, quoted at $3.50 to SOC
per hundred weight. Here we have a
difference of about 81 per hundred in
favor OF the improved stock, and this
is not half the story, for the general
average weight of the first class is only
800 or 900 pounds At the heaviest
weight and best price they
would bring $3.50 apiece. while
the grade. at 1900 pounds and s. per
hundred, would bring $6j, or almost
double the price of the scrub-a good
return TOT the use OF tIbEDu-ubItu
sire. While the price Of cattle per
pound may and viii fuctuate. yet the
difference per pound between good and
poor cattle will remain unchanged; the
same may be said Of all other kinds of
stock. Generous feeding and care will
be found very advantageous in dealing
with all animals find it much more
profitable to keep only as much stock
as can be fed ard cared for well, hav-
ing this motto always in view: IAN
honest profit for all food consumed =
To accomplish this, only fnely-bred
males should be used. The breeds Of
stock kept should be those most suit
able for the locality and the purpose
required. These are considerations
which have not received the attention
they deserve from our farmers
Farmer 44Eocafs.