The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-12-20
POINTS on CATTLE RAISING.
A Plain Talk by Col. y. T. Moore, OF Spar.
tanburg:
INeekly Ne.es and Courier.

WccEtY NettS ana I01trtcTs
I come before you as plain, practical
farmer to discuss a practical subject
cattle raising. Twill, therefore, not trou-
BILE you with an elaborate discussion, or
the principles of breeding and feeding,
out will address myself to you on matters
pertaining to this subject as they present
themselves to us in this country, where
cotton is the chief production. Without
rhetoric and circumlocution, then,I will
proceed.
The first reflection I desire to offer is
this, viz: That the raising of cattle is 8
subject of vastly more Importance than
we are accustomed to accord it. In my
Judgment, it is the basis of all good hus-
bandry, because aside from any pecuniary
profits to be derived therefrom, in the
sale of animals or their products, it is to
this industry, that ne are to look for the
permanent improvement of our poor
worn out soils, which great desideratum
is to be attained throug ID the change of
crops made necessary to support the AMI"
mails, and the careful outstanding OF the
manure made thereby.
You have doubtless heard the old Ger
man adage, "No grass, 20 cattle; no {,
cattle, no manure; no manure, no crop"
It may be as Vile, the great French
chemist and agriculturist says, that one
can raise better crops at less cost by the
aid of chemical manures, but it does not
seem practical to me with the kind of
crops we raise. When look around and
see the old SCARED and quilted hills, and
when I take my own experience into con.
sideration, Mr.. Ville's theory does not
seem to work out in practice. When l
wsut'to raise big crop ! go for stable
manure every time, and when / apply it
properly, no matter in how small doses, it
generally responds satisfactorily. This is
not always the case with purchased ma,
nures.. Sometimes I can hardly tell
whether Ishave applied anything or not
And to take DR.. McBryde's statement as
to his SUCCESS in raising cotton on the
College experimental grounds, one would
be almost afraid to venture much on
commercial manures. But not to wander
off. To any one who thinks ofgoing into
cattle raising, certain considerations
suggest themselves, as what breed or
breeds are best suited to his wants, and
how he is going to provide Enclosures,
summer pasture and winter feed for them.
These are the subjects I propose to talk
about.
Now first as to breeds: There are sew.
eral leading varieties In South Carolina,
and it is Of them only I#wish to speak,
because from among them can be procur:
ed the kinds best adapted to the wants OF
the country in which we live. They are
the Short. horns, Holsteins, Devons, Ayr
shires, Jerseys and Guernseys. These are
bred for specific purposes as follows, viz:
the short.horns for beef; the Holsteins
for beef and milk; the Devons for beef
and work oxen; the Ayrshire for milk !;
and the Jerseyiand Guernsey for butter.
Now all one has to do is to decide what
he proposes to raise cattle for, whether for
beef, work oxen, milk or butter, and make
his choice accordingly. II he wants
to raise beef he will not select the Jerseys
or if he wants butter he will not select
the Devon, and 80 on through the list.
Now as to-the adaptability Of these
breeds to our wants: the Short-horn is q
very large animal, but in my judgment
is not adapted to our scanty pastures. 1t
may do very we'll for the rich grass lands
in Kentucky, Ohio and Illinois, where
they are brought to great perfection and
sell for large prices, but here they wear
themselves out in the vain search to find
sufficient food to maintain their magni6
cent carcasses, and consequently deterior.
ate in size and quality. They have been
before our.people for many ars,lbut their
breeding is on the waae.
The Holstein is a new breed, introduc.
ed in this section q few years ago from
Holland. Like the Short.horn they are
very large, weighing sometimes two
thousand and more pounds. They are
magnificent mixers, giving as much as
70 or-S0 pounds per day in rare instances,
and make excellent beef, but how animals
of such large size are to be maintained IN
our short pastures is more than am able
to tell. This breed OF the Short-horn
crossed upon the native, would, however
greatly improve the latter, and for this
purpose are very desirable.
The Devon is beauty, of rich red
color, or rounded frame, of medium size,
quick growth and action, and makes the
best marbled beef, and for work OK is
unsurpassed. They have been bred almcet
exclusively for these two uses. In their
breeding 80 little attention has been paid
to their milking qualifications that in the
Herd Book the size and shape of the bag
ofthe COW is set down at almost nothing
in the scale of points by which they are
judged.
The AYRSHIRE is 8 small or medium
sized animal, introduced from the short
pastures of Scotland. They give q very
large quantity of a poor quality of milk.
rich however, in cheese-making qualities
Allen 10 American Cattle" calls her
the poor mans COW from her great
quantity of milk. She makes fair beef
The Jerseys and Guernsey are both
from the Channel Islands. The Jersey is
bred exclusively for butter. All the beel
producing parts have been bred away
until only a poor, scrawney carcass is
left, not fit for beef, except for people
who do not know what good beef is. 1t
it claimed for the Guernseys that they are
larger and coarser boped, and make as
much butter and better beef than the
Jerseys.
We have thus given you the principal
characteristics Of these breeds. If you
mediate trying the raising of cattle you
will look around you, and see what the
markets near you demand, and make your
selections accordingly. Ifyou are near q
town where milk is in demand, then select
the Ayrshire or the Holstein, if you have
excellently good pasture for the latter
Ifyou want to raise butter try the: Jersey,
or if beef, the Devon or Short. horn, or 8
cross of that upon natives.
But try whatever breed you may, even
to the natives, you will find many diff.
culties in the way. The first great diff
Guilty you will meet with is how to enclose
your stock to keep them from depredating
upon your neighbor. The stock Law is 8
wonderfully good thing, in fact, in such
country as ours. With our system o.
labor there would be no farming withou,
it. But it has practically killed stock
raising.
cannot very we'll see how stock car
be raised probably without radics
change in the labor system. The only
true. System, especially for the stock raiser
as is to hire his labor for money wages
L LII L a.