The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-10-20
IMPROVED 1--WE STOCK,
Why 1t Is as Necessary as Improved Ag-
riculturaI Machinery.

mechanic arts, we find the agricultural
industries with improved machinery
and improved methods of tillage, en-
abling the farmer to double his acreage
and more than double the value of his
production.
The intelligent farmer readily falls
in line with these advanced ideas. Not
waiting to be told it will be paying
investment, he at once supplies him
self with the latest labOr-saving ma
chinery, and adopts the improved
methods of tillage.
Observation and experience has
taught him it will no longer pay to
resort to the old hand cradle to harvest
his wheat-that it will be paying in
vestment to put from 800 to $3.50 in
modern self-binding harvester.
While he is ever ready to adopt these
improved methods in grain farming,
he is slow to adopt improved methods
of stock-raising, from which a large
part of the profits from general farming
would be derived.
With improved cattle the unmarked
able and by-product of the farm could
be marketed with profit. While he
sees the wisdom of investing a hun
dred dollars or more in a self-binding
harvester, he does not see the wisdom
of investing like amount in a
thoroughbred bull by which he would
double the value of his livestock pro-
duction. He does not stop to consider
that the thoroughbred bull is to the
scrub what the improved self-binding
harvester is to the old hand-cradle
which he has abandoned Why does
he adopt the improved methods of
grain-farming and reject the improved
methods of stock-raising?
Is it not from the fact that he has
had experience with the former and
proved its value, while with the other
he has had no experience, but takes it
for granted that it will not pay, and
never tries it? This would seem to be
the charitable solution of the problem
for had he ever had the service of a
thoroughbred bull he would be no
more ready to return to the scrub than
to the old hand-cradle long since aban-
doned.
Now, my good farmer, you that have
proven the value of modern agriculture
al machinery, but have not proven
the value of a thoroughbred bull, when
compared with the native scrub, ex-
anime the facts as they are placed be-
fore you, and note the difference in
value of imported cattle when COM
pared with the native scrub, to which
you so dearly cling
Last year the Bureau of Animal In
dustry at Washington among other
things, obtained from authentic
sources the ruling value of the various
classes of live stock, and placed in
tabulated form the average price per
head of these various classes.
These statistics show the average
price per head of three-year-old
thoroughbred cattle to be $3.50. 53-the
average price of high grades. $3.50
the average price Of three-fourths
bloods, $54.62-the average price OF
half bloods, $36 SO, while the average
price OF native cattle was but $28. SO.
Here is difference of $83. 40 in favor
of 10 steers from scrub COWS by a
thoroughbred bull, and 10 steers from
the same COWS by a scrub bull.
In other words, the farmer with 10
scrub COWS can afford to pay $50 for
the service of thoroughbred bull, or
counting money with ten per cent. he
can afford to pay $500 for thorough
bred bull and then be as well off as he
is breeding scrubs. Now, is there a
farmer with ten or fifteen common COWS
that can truthfully say that it will pay
to invest 800 or more in self-binding
harvester, but will not pay to invest
like amount in thoroughbred short
horn bull, when with the present prices
he can get a good one for that money?
TO go little further with these figures,
were his ten COWS high grades (Which
they could be with two or three crosses
with thoroughbred bulls, ten steers by
d thoroughbred bull would be worth
$500 more than the ten scrubs. He
could therefore afford to pay s., 900 for
a thoroughbred bull to use on his ten
high grade COWS and then make as
much money as with his scrub cows
and scrub bull.
The farmer does not now have to
pay $1,000 for thoroughbred bull
he can get good one for from 800 to
$3.50. We say, then, if you do not wish
to stand in your own light, get thor
Oughbred bull at once, and keep the
live stock branch of your farming
abreast with your grain farming. To
make money on small farm the two
must 60 hand in hand. To do less YOU
may get fair living for yourself and
family, but you can not make farming
a success or ennoble the calling which
you have chosen.-IHdiana Farmer.
Concerning Old Maidhood.
There are many worse things than
single blessedness, and the condition
OF the old maid is no less honorable to
her than is that of matrimony to her