West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-09-30
OUR FARMS AND FARMERS.
Should Produce More Cattle and
Sheep and Less Grain.


Sheep and Less Grain.
There is so much feed in the
country and young cattle are so
scarce and the demand for them so
great, that they are bringing fancy
prices, and yearlings are selling for
as high as $2j per head and calves
from SO 20 Sl5 per head. The
Republicans are claiming credit for
it under the new tariff bill and
Dragging long aud loud about how
their administration puts up the
price Of farm products. when, as a
matter of fact, neither the party in
power nor the tariff bill has any
thing to do with it. The whole
business Is the natural result Of
cause and effect, and is all regu-
lated by the law Of supply and de-
mand.
Feed has been scarce for several
years and stock low, aud our people
sold of too closely until there is not
half enough stock in the country
to eat up the feed now on hand
during the next two years. The
result is that there is a great rush
for young cattle, and as everybody
has plenty of feed, no one wants to
sell, nor will they sell at all unless
they get a fancy price. Last year
people foolishly sold their calves
for q song to the butcher for veal,
or to the shipper to be sent out Of
the county, and new yearling cattle
are very scarce.
1t seems that our farmers geuer-
ally manage to get on the wrong
side of the market, and when their
products are in good demand and
at fancy prices, they have nothing
to sell. Then they 60 to work and
stock up and raise big crop, and
get nothing for it. Good manage
ment is half the fight, and there is
a great demand for more scientific
farming. Too much of it in this
country IS accomplished by main
strength and awkwardncss. Most
of our farmers try to farm too
much land, and as q natural result
none of it is done right. They
wear themselves out over a big ex-
tent of territory and get but poor
returns.
Generally speaking, it does not
pay to raise grain to sell IN this
county, but pays better to raise
cattle and sheep. Every farmer
should try to be independent and
produce enough grain for his own
use, but not wear himself and
his land out raising it for sale in
our home markets, whore there is
but little demand for it, and as for
shipping it away, it is impossible
for us to compete wish the farmers
of the west. Our people should get
more land in grass and pay more
attention to improving their stock
and raise more cattle and sheep, as
they are less trouble than any other
stock and bring better returns.
We hear great deal said this
year about "dollar wheat" but
even at that price, it hardly pays
our farmers to raise it, and there is
not more than one out of ten on an
average that has it to sell this year,
in spite of the great TODD made
about it IN the Republican papers.
Many Of our best farmers have
been buying part or all Of their
-four for years, simply because they
could buy it cheaper than they can
raise it. About the only kind of
grain that we can knock out com
petition on Is buckwheat, and when
1t comes to this, VIC cannot only
corner the market, but three corner
1t with this kind Of grain. Buck
wheat is the shortest and easiest
raised crop we have, and some OF
our farmers have thirty bushels TO
the acre and raise hundreds of