The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-05-18
MEeaeeEAK1@GARpEN
VS. S.
EASTERN BEEF CATTLE.
1t Will Pay to Market Meat of Ricl
Quality.

The recent fluctuations in beef show
that the farmer performs very important
part in influencing the supply, and that he
has the power to reduce or increase prices
than has heretofore been supposed. Look
ing over the field the fact appears also that
the prices of beef and the control of the
present supply are regulated at Kansas
City, over 1900 miles from the seaboard
The Eastern farmer is compelled to aban-
don the cattle business because he cannot
compete with his Western competitors and
our butchers are forced to buy from those
who seem to have power to limit the sup
ply. Now, the real party who can regu-
late the prices is the farmer. There is no
necessity whatever for the East buying her
beet so far from home. 1t is the farmers
in this section who have refused to turn
their attention to cattle raising, and who
are permitting the Western farmers to
have control of the leading markets. The
very fact that beef is high is proof that the
farmers are depriving themselves of the
opportunity of receiving better prices for
their products than they have been secur-
ing.
DAIRY AND BEEF STOCK.
The dairy interests of the East keep the
production of beef cattle in the rear. Yet,
with the complaint that prices for grain
prevent farmers from making a profit, no
attention has been given to the fattening of
steers. One of the drawbacks has been
that the steers on the majority of the
Eastern farms are very inferior, due to the
fact that the best mich cows are not pro-
ducers of the choicest beef animals. This
condition will remain, however unless
farmers are willing to raise their calves
instead of selling them off at an early aye.
A pure-bred bull of the beef-producng
breeds, such as the Herefords, Shorthorns,
or Polled Angus, bred to the ordinary
dairy COWS, will make wonderful im-
provemont in the stock, though it is
admitted that nothing will be gained by
keeping the heifer calves of such union,
unless it is send them to market, as the
beef-producing breeds are not as suitable
for milk and butter as the breeds adapted
for those purposes.
CHEAP FOODS AND BEEF.
With wheat as low as 80 cents, the prices
of corn and oats will be influenced CORES
pondingly, and the best way to sell cheap
grain is in the form of meat. There is
nothing to prevent those who are nearest
to the markets from controlling prices, but
in order to do so the beef must be fully up
in quality to that which comes from the
West. 1t is admitted that the best beef is
shipped from west of the Mississippi, for
the reason that our Eastern farmers are
more interested in milk and butter than
in beef, hence the greater uniformity of
the Western meat, but present prices dem
onstrate that our Eastern farmers can afford
to use their cheap grain for producing beef.
To be successful, however, the cattle must
be of the breeds that will give the greatest
gain in the shortest time, and the beef
must be of a quality to compete with that
which comes from elsewhere With trans
portation in our favor all now depends
upon the breeds, and with their use the
East need not fear Western competition.