The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-07-30
Hold on to Young stock

There is one very encouraging sign
in Northwestern live stock conditions,
and that is that farmers are beginning
to appreciate the value of their young
stock and refuse to sell yearlings at
such low prices as formerly. Until re-
Gently the big ranchmen found it much
cheaper to buy their young stock from
farmers than to raise it, consequently
few big ranches of the Dakotas or Mon
tana possessed anything but steers.
Mr.. Wibaux, the largest individual cat
tie owner in America, has been almost
the only exception to this rule; he has
made q practice Of raising his own
calves. He recently made a contract
with Green & Badger of AIandan by
which that firm is to supply him with
1900 cows. Other ranchmen are now
finding that farmers want to keep their
yearlings and fatten them on their
farms. and as a result Of this change
of attitude on the part Of farmers the
ranchmen are obliged to buy cows and
raise calves.
President Thomas, of the Missouri
River Stock association, makes the as
sertion that he could pay % per cent
interest and make a profit raising cat
tie. He took 100 steers as an illustra-
ton, as follows: First cost of yearling
steers, 200; care for two and half
years, $3.50, when they would bring an
| average of $40 per head in Chicago:
cost of transportation and other ex-
penses OF maketing, 81 per head, in
Guiding an estimated loss of 10 per
cent.
If the above statement by Mr..
Thomas, who is a practical cattle man.
is true, then we must take it for
granted that the Northern buyer either
preYaricates when he comes to the
Southwest for feeders Or else is not
satisfied with the Dutchman's 1 per
cent.
Will Southwestern cattlemen take
the cue 2Arizona Stockman
| Leaner Pork.
The requirements of the market are
undoubtedly shifting from the lard
toward the bacon hog. The number of
the latfre kind being used is not great
as yet, but still the tendency is in that
direction, and everything points toward
their preference in the future. OF
course, with a scarcity of corn and cor
responding lack Of fat, the lard pro-
Queer would command premium, but
this condition promises to be the ex-
ception rather than the rule hereafter.
The kind Of hog the farmer viii raise
depends largely on the preference Of
the packer, VINO Will look TO the public
taste and the values of various hog
products for his guide. Heretofore the
farmer has had little or no inducement
to produce bacon hog. He usually.
sold TO the shipper, who sold to the
packer, and the packer wanted fat
hogs. With abundance of corn, hogs
could be made fat cheaply, and the.
farmer found it to his advantage to
feed them for fat and heavy weights.
But q change is HOW coming about.
Packers are calling for more and more
light hogs, because the consumers pre-
fer the meat from that kind The for.
eign consumer is buying liberalIy Of
pork from bacon hogs at an advance,
while American pork must sell at a. re-
ducticn- Packers are after this fore. On
trade. and to get it and keep it mast
have hogs which are similar to those
produced by European farmers. AS
the packers demand more hogs OF this
kind. American producers viii furnish
them. and will find them as profitable
as any National Stockman.
Plenty Of Room md Feed.
In commencing to feed a lot Of young
pigs it is comparatively easy to get
into the habit Of giving, certain
quantity at every meal. and of feeding
in the same tfoughs, without taking
into consideration the fact that pigs
should be given more room aud :slo.,e
feed