The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-05-24
FOR THE FARMERS.
USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT FARM
MATTERS.s
Cattle in the Northwcst-
Some Little Useful VeEetnblcs-The
narmers' FOvvls-Cllurninga at T. Low
Temperature-SOme Farm Notes.

Temperature-Some Farm Notes.
Prof. Thomas Shaw, of the Minneso-
ia agricultural experiment station, in
the Live Stock Report, says: This
whole question seems to be in the I'M
settled stage at the present time. 1t
is only engaged in by very limited
| number relatively Of the people, and
those who do engage in it seem to fol-
low it on what may be termed the
extensive rather than the intensive
,, plan, that is to say, they have more re-
gard to- economy of labor in their oper-
atoms than to economy in the food
given.
AS things are, it is well probably that
the few rather than the many engage
in this work, since the many have not
, the facilities for carrying it on properly.
But with these facilities, if it w ere pos
sible to obtain them, it would be better
! in the end if those who raised the cattle
,, fed them. By facilities mean suita-
| bic winter protection and suitable food
| In Ontario, in some localities, every
| farmer feeds a small bunch Of steers
! Of his own raising. The plan is an ex-
| cellent one, for then the farmer who
| rears the animal gets the profit from
| the transaction, whereas when cattle
! are reared by one party and finished
| by another, as in the Northwest, those
! who grow the cattle have little or no
! profit.
| They cannot have profit, owing to the
| prices for which such animals are
| turned over to the feeder. When three
years old they fetch to those who raise
, them about ? cents per pound live
weight-that is to say, the grower Of a
three-year-old steer gets about $1S or
$40 for his work. all told. If he had
shelter for winter feeding, and could
carry the animal on to the following
spring, he could reasonably look for at
least cents per pound live weight,
or twice the sum which he gets by
selling the same in the autumn to be
finished by another party.
! 1t seems somewhat strange that men
, fail to see what they lose by not finish
ing themselves the store stock which
they raise. A farmer could get just as
much for one finished animal in the
spring as for two unfinished in the
fall. 1t would, therefore, seem we'll
worth the effort to try and secure
facilities that would bring the good
price for the finished product.
Those who finish cattle in the North
west by winter feeding seem to do So,
in many instances at least, by feeding
large quantities Of food. Some feeders
give tWenty-seven pounds Of corn and
( cob meal per day, that is to say, about
Atwenty-one OF twenty-five pounds of
corn meal without the cob, and all
the hay they will eat in addition. Such
j feeding seems very large to one accus-
! toned to feeding in Ontario, where it
is not common to find any one who
gives more than twelve pounds Of meal
per day to an animal that is being fed
In the Northwest foods are cheap,
and in consequence, the necessity for
economy in feeding has not been much
felt as yet. Labor is dear, and in the
effort to economiZe labor it is ut least
questionable if the average Northwest
c,n feeder is not losing more by eX-
travagant feeding than he would by
feeding economically, though at great
er outlay for wages and building Ms
terial such as would keep the cattle
warm.
There is not uniformity by any means
in the plan of cattle feeding pr;lclised,
but in many instances I have met with
| lcCuIlS ESTABLISHMENTS COuuuClCu us lO1-
lows: The cattle would be fed in a
yard in the open air. They would have
access to a shed i'll which to lie if they
so desired. There would he water
trough in one part Of the yard, where
they could drink. The water is, of
course, icy cold. Under these condi-
tons, if they are to gain rapidly they
must be we'll fed, that is to say, they
must be given large quantities of food.
In other words, the exposure to the
cold conditions to which the animals
are subjected must be atoned for by
giving large quantities Of meal. In
those instances where at least twenty
pounds of corn meal are being fed per
day, eight pounds more are being given
than are used in the warm stables of
Ontario. Eight pounds of meal per day
to every animal fed by one extensively
engaged in feeding would mean a great
deal, even when corn is cheap. 1t
would mean that ere very long say
ing of SO much meal per day would
pay for comfortable sheds.
Some Little Used Vegetables.
Ivory country Ia; it, own li1l, L1
vegetables; those; that grow and do well
! En111v cc mo tn no thoSo ora 71U