The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-11-02
CATTLE RAISING FOB PROFIT:
Two Progressive Farmers Demonstrate
the Possibility.

Two Progressive Farmers Demonstrate
the Possibility.
From the Yorkvilh Enquirer.
Cattle raising for profit in York Coun'
ty! Ten years ago nobody would have
thought Of such = thing. The possession
Of Z few head Of fine cattle was looked
upon as luxury that none but the
wealthy could afford, and the idea Of
raising cattle, and hue ones at thst, fol
tho money that was In them, would not
hsvo been entertained for q moment,
When cotton was ten cents pound, an
aers would ylsld something like $50
worth year, and a. ths same amount ol
land would not begin to support COW
that would only be worth from $12 10
916 at three years old, how could there
be any money In such business! That
Was the old way Of looking at things,
but things have changed somewhat. A
large psr cent. Of the general public to-
day have the same old Ideas a TO tho e1.
penss and profit of the two business, but
a few more advanced farmers here and
there, are beginning to dsmenlt.ate that
although the figures say that there
is no money In cattle raising, the actual
profits, no matter how they come about,
say that thers ID money In II, and not
only money, but good money.
OF course taere Is nothing wrong with
the figures and estimated expenses. Or.
dinarily anybody can coant up expense,
emitting not single item. But some
times some people ls,s sight Of the
profit, and especially is this the case in
this business. There are many sources
Of profit in the buainess of cattle raising
that cannot be at all appreciated except
through actual experience, and actual
experience never fails to bring about q
great many gratifying surprises.
a representative of the Enquirer went
down to see MI. J. ". Belts, at Leslie
station, about five miles south of Rock
Hill, recently. A few years ago Mr..
Belts Was q cotton farmer. Now he is
rapidly drifting into the stock business.
When he quit cotton, be waa very much
discouraged. Then he was in debt; now
he is getting out Of debt just as fast as
any other farmer in the country. Here
is the whole history in a nutshell.
Surely all farmers will understand it.
Along about 1883, without any previous
experience, Mr. Belts commenced raising
cotton. He ran two mule farm and
got along spleudidly; sometimes clear
ing over and above sll expenses IS much
al four or Ave hundred dollars a year.
Although this was frat rate, none Of us
are doing as much as We want to do.
Mr.. Betts thought he would enlarge his
operations, and undertook to run six or
seven horse cotton farm. He did not
run 1t long. He landed just where
ninety nine cut of hundred who try
the same thing, under the same ciroum-
will land. Now, be i. paying
his debts. he will be square up again
before great while longer, but it will
be 80 with very little thanks to cotton.
Mr.. Bolts has now had four or five
years experience with cattle, and espe-
cislly In view of his former experience
With cotton, 1t is reasonable to presume
that he knows what he is talking about
when he discusses the subject.
"Oattls an expenser" he says. "Whv
no more profitable economy was ever in
troduced on farm. have always been
q lover Of stock, and especially Aue stock.
1t used to be my ambition to have money
in order that might indr'se myself in
this hobby. Now that I AVE tried it,
without any money, I find that have
wasted years waiting to get able to go
into a business that would have paid me
from The very start. OF course I may
fail, but am satisfied now that If I do,
1t will either be my fault, or the result
OF accidents will not be the fault of
the business.
"And how do I mansgc it9 Well, it
is getting easy enough now. When I
1 frat came to this place l succeeded a
man who had been forced to leave be-
cause he could scarcely make living.
The land was 30 poor that it wouldn't
pay for the working. I bought few
head of cattle, turned them on the worn.
out land, and began clearing 6fteen
acres or more Of new ground every year.
1t has been an uphill business--expense
without any return-ffom the very start.
But now things are getting better. The
old worn out lands have been greatly
enriched from the droppings of the cat
tie, and J. am just now getting my new
grounds in fine trim for making good
crops.
"But aside from the manure, here is
how the cattle can be made to pay. Last
year MIXED four COWS, two of them
full, and the other two half Jerseys.
From these cows, in addition to all the
milk and butter used at home, I sold
68l pounds of b. ..1r in Rock Hill at 25
cents a pound, receiving in all 1920 rs.
With this money hired d hand at $40 a
month, and with very little help from
me, ha made fifteen bales Of cotton and
800 bushels of corn. The entire crop
cost me only $40 over and above what
I received for my butter.
"Now, as to the expense of my cattle" "
continued Mr.. Belts, 81 hardly know
how to count it up. Last year win
tered eleven head, and about all the
money paid out was for two loads of
WHEAT straW. This wear have fourteen