Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-03-15
AGRICULTURAL
information of General Interest
and Value to Farmers.
Matters of Importance on the Farm
and Ranch Treated skiilfuIIy
and With Intelligence
Notes.
Extravaganza OF Pasturing Cattle.

Extravaganza OF Pasturing Cattle.
Philadelphia Record: The time will
como when beef cattle win be raised on
small farms and the food cut and carried
to the cattle instead OF using the land
for pasture. The system Of pasturage is
apparently the most profitable of all
methods for raising cattle, and, no
doubt, it will be difficult to convince
farmers that other systems arc cheaper
and better, but when the farmers find
that they arc compelled to limit their
operations to smaller areas they viii be
surprised to learn that they have here
tofore been using the most ~cxtrayagant
system that is possible 10 be applied to
dairying-that Of pasturing over largo
tracts. Even with our advanced system
Of agriculture and stock raising the
farmers have become fully awakened TO
the Importance Of the use OF thorough
bred cattle for the production of beef,
butter and milk, and until they have, as
a class, graded their stock TO a degree
nearly reaching the full-bred they will
not kindly adopt the intensive methods,
but ;aCst ultimately lie forced from their
present position, and the change viii DO
TO their advantage.
The value Of the land, the interest on
It's value and the possible profit from its
use are factors that should enter into
the expenses OF dairying or cattle-feed-
ing. Whether il is cheaper to allow the
cattle TO go TO the pasture. harvest the
grass and bring IL to the barn in their
stomachs, or whether II is cheaper 70
cultivate the land in order TO derive ali
that il will produce, and feed the pro-
duce to the cattle at the barn, is the
important question that Is receiving
moro attention than any other relating
to feeding at the present time, and
the ultimate solution will depend on
the growth Of the country and the value
Of the land. But every farmer has had
some experience in a comparison OF the
two systems. for the %fattening OF steers
in winter is simply the application OF
the intensive system through necessity.
asthel lack ofpasturage forces the farmer
TO keep his stock confined in order
that he may feed and care for them
with as little labor as possible.
The largest profit derived is from the
manure, as but 80 per cent. OF the food
eaten is digestcd and assimilated, the
cattle carrying away from the farm but
that proportion. though this may vary
according 70 the kind Of food provided.
II the cattle gave no profit. when sold,
over the cost Of the food, the manure
would still remain as a large item in
their favor. The fatteningof steers, how
ever, as at present practiced, Is for the
farmer 70 20 on the market and buy a
lot for that purpose. II he becomes in
terested in the Improvement OF his
stock he will learn that 1t is cheaper
TO raise his steers and fatten them,
for he can secure more beef from
a well-bred 3-year-old steer than from
two steers bought from dealers, as
there Is just that difference between the
two classes classes of animals. Good
breeding, with the use of eusilagc and
grain, and the young animals forced in
growth from the start, will not only
give a larger profit, but allow more
land 10 be cultivated by a more econom-
ical system of feeding.