The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1897-12-24
COBURN'S REPORT.
Entertaining Facts About "The Beef
Steer and His Sister"
Most Excellent Showing OF the Live Stock
Interests OF Bansas-Eansas the Ma
turing Ground OF the Range
Crop Satisfies.

TOPEKA, Kan, Dec. 16.-The report
Of the Kansas state board Of agricul-
Uure for the quarter ended December,
1897, yesterday was made public There
always is a red line across the first
page Of the quarterly agricultural re-
ports naming the most important
subject discussed. The line this time
is The Beef Steer and His Sister"
Following is Secretary COburn's intro
duction to the report:
We are told ''au flesh is grass and the good
illness thereof is as the flower Of the field
Nature and men, cooperating have made Kan
saS marvellous blending Of pasture and corn
held-the domain Of grasses In luxuriance,
profusiOn, nutritious qualities and economy Of
production. hers are nowhere surpassed: this,
whether applied to the corn, blue stem, timothy,
clOvers and blue grass Of her eastern half, or
sorghumS, miliets, alfalfa and unpretentious
PrammaS Of the fertile plains and higher alti-
.udes beyond
The premier. prince Of all these, is Indian
corn From these her meats and milk and
wealth are made; from these annually. for two
decades, she has given to the shambles alone
animals having an average home value exceed
ing 80 O0O,COJ, or an aggregate Of 1888 600 OOOj
out Of these and by these her future wealth and
all It brings OF good must largely come. As
finished product and raw material they are
symbOlized in the beef steer, his sister and the
cOrn- To their Improvement, best utilization
and proper recognition this work is dedicated
Recognizing the tremendous significance Of
beef production as factor in Kansas agricul-
ture and Kansas prosperity, the state board Of
agriculture with view to gathering and dis
seminating practical Information pertaining TO
this important subject, has interviewed several
hundred Of the men longest, most successfully
and most extensively engaged in cattle fatten-
ing especially in the various counties Of the
state.
The average length Of time those who report
ed have been in the business Of beef production
in Kansas is 19 years. The average Of the ages
they recommend for the castration Of bull
calves, ranging from one hour to one year, is "a
days Their recommendation for the feeding
OF calves the first winter is wheat bran and
shelled ccTn, OF bran and oats, ia sufficient
quantities, with hay or other coarse feed, 70
keep them thrifty and growing.
A large majority favor dehOrned or hornless
cattle. and say that for the fattening lot such
cattle have q 10 per cent greater value than
those with horns Thirty reports give them
q greater value Of IL cents per 100 pounds; e
place 1t at s2-O5 per head The higher price
they say fat cattle without horns are likely 70
sell for averages 135z cents per 100 pounds The
time required for properly and safely changing
cattle from grass 70 full or maximum grain
diet is 3 days, or from corn stock fields, 16
days
With two exceptions, all say, extra labor
considered, it is not profitable in Kansas to
keep fattening cattle tied In stalls EOrty-fOur
per cent advised keeping grain constantly aC-
ceSsible to fattening cattle, ana 50 per cent say
IL is best 70 feed twice daily, and then only 50
much at each meal as viii be eaten before the
next feeding Ninety per cent say ii Is profit
able to grind some or all Of the grain; and the
average cost Of grinding is given as IL cents
per busheL Ten per cent say grinding Is not
profitable
Those who have soaked corn for fattening
cattle say its value is enhanced p per cent
thereby
Those who have fed wheat bran with corn
esteem 1t highly. saying it aids digestion, les
sens the quantity Of other and perhaps more
costly foods required, and hastens fattening-
From - to > per cent Coy weight Of wheat
bran fed with shelled or ground corn is re-
ported profitable, when bran costs no more
than IS ID per ton
Linseed oil cake meal is praised by those
who have fed it with corn, and - feeders say
they are justified in using more or less Of it at
cost not exceeding Sl9-50 per ton, as very de-
sirable adjunct Of corn costing > cents per
busheL a smaller number report favOrably on
the use Of limited quantities Of cotton seed meal
The cost OF grazing in pastures averaged with
that on open ranges is 81 cents per month
Eighty per cent favor the use Of loose OF
barrel salt and 20 per cent prefer rock salt for
the feed lot or pasture The principal Objec-
tiOns offered to rock salt are, that cattle spend
too much time licking il in order 70
satisfy their wants and that in doing 50
their tongues are likely 70 be made sore
Using as basis OF comparison Of value wild
prairie Cblue-stem) hay at - per ton
as forage or ''rOughness" for cattle being fat
tened with grain, the Kansas cattlemen on the
average rate other forage with il like this; Red
clover at $50 per ton; alfalfa, -; alfalfa straw
Ohreshed), > %; miilet, $3.50: sorghum or
Kafir-cOrn grown in hills with seed on. %; sor-
ghum OF Kafr-cOrn hay broadcast or in drills, /
$3.50; cat straw. sl-70 and wheat straw, SLO5-
The reports show with practical unanimity
that with her mild, dry winter climate, abuu-
dant cheap grains and forage, unequaled trans
POrtatiOn facilities, and possessing within her
borders the second greatest live stock market
Of the world. Kansas must be ana Is the apprO-
pirate and most suitable maturing ground for
not only her own, but the vast numbers Of
range-rearCd steers from the southwest and
west, and large proportion OF those native to /