The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-11-22

that the only return likely to be re-
Ceived from it will be an additional
quantity of manure. Any farmer fol
lowing such a course would find that
his family would not be able to live
comfortably on such proceeds of the
value said to be in the manure.
To the practical man it would appear
that such calculations are very often
misleading. 1t can easily be shown,
by careful calculation, that the man
who feeds a number of steers each
| year on his farm is actually feeding
them at loss, when the calculation is
made, as it has been, in the bulletin re,
| ferred to-
If the market price in any of our
| towns and cities of the hay, roots, and
grain, which is being fed to these ami
mails Is computed, in nearly every case
it will be seen that the animals are sold
at loss. Yet every observant man
| knows that the farmers who have
adopted this practice (O for years have
been the men who have prospered, who
have, in some cases, become wealthy,
who have added to their lands, and
who have been successful in support
ing the young men of their families on
| additional acres.
If this work had actually been done
at loss, how can this be accounted
for2 The real truth is that these com
| putaslOns are erroneous. The man
makes his money because ne is able,
THROUGH HIS STEER,
in his stable, to sell his hay, his roots,
and his grain, at fairly remunerative
rate The profit is in the sale of these
articles, through the medium Of the
steer, which he would probably find it
| impossible to sell in any other way
| The manure which is thus made upon
his farm enables him to produce his
grain crops in much greater abundance
and OF superior quality, so that an ad
| ditiOnal profit is made in that way.
| 1t Is no doubt true that the man who
| Is not q farmer who buys lam0s las
was done for the college experiment.,
| and who is compelled to buy grain, hay,
| and roots. on whi h to feed them, will
| find that the transaction will show but
| little profit But the farmer who grows
| these articles on his own farm will fad
| that in the feeding Of them to sheep or
cattle, in the manner suggested, hewitl
| be enabled to make considerable profit
On.their growth when thus sold through
| the medium of his live stock. If he
| does not produce the hay, etc, but
| buys from his neighbOr, 1t is clear that
the transaction will not be sufficiently
remuuerative to warrant it's cOntinu
ance.
| If this he granted. how viii the
! farmer be able 80 secure better prices
| for the articles thus consumed In the
| feeding of his live stock? 1t will not
matter to him at what price these are
sold on the market; his are not sold IN
that way, but through the animal
which he is feeding; 50 that, in order
to secure increased prices, he must
! give close attention to the quality of
| the animal through which 1t passes
| There is much more profit in q good
steer which, receiving the same feed
and care, and sold at the same age,
brings $40, than one Of the scrub vari
| ETY., which, while receiving the same
attention, brings only $40. He who
| has the better steer will certainly get
more for his hay and roots. through
the medium of that steer, than his
neighbor will through the medium of
the inferior one.
In the same way the value Of the
manure made upon the farm must be
computed. He who is able to use his
manure on land which produces thirty
| bushels of wheat, TO be sold at one dol
lar, would make more money than he
who grows seventy bushels of oats at
thirty cents Manure, in the one case,
would appear to be worth more to the
farmer than in the other case.
The conclusion to be reached in both
| cases is that in order to secure the best
returns for these products thus con
sumed, it is necessary to secure the
best specimens only. IL manure only
is sought, then the scrub steer or the
inferior sheep will be able to produce
it in the same quantity as one of much
better quality; but we think that it
would be found impossible to feed these
animals simply for the amount Of ma
nure produced.
The farmer should not only seek to
obtain profit in this way, but to feed
such a quality of live stock as will give
profit in the production Of the food
| Farmers Advocate.