The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1898-06-04
Excellence In Reef Cattle.

u "a ~
ographic Report of meeting of Kansas
State Board of Agricultural
Prof. c. F. Curtis of Iowa spoke on
practical excellence in beef cattle. Last
fall a railroad man In Iowa had made
the statement that there were S0.000,-
O0O bushels Of corn stored along the
railroads in that state that could not
De marketed at a profit. Things have
changed some since then, but there is
little doubt that something like the
same conditions exist now in Kansas.
Within his memory there had not been
a time when the outlook for cattle rails
Ing was better than at present. He
then gave an illustrated talk On the
different breeds as beef producers. AS
We have previously reported this talk,
we will omit 1t now. The subject OF
gains In beef per pound of feed was
discussed.
ON your experiments at the Iowa
experiment station is 1t not shown that
cattle having the same breeding and
h same age differ greatly as to the
comparative gains they can make on
the same food?
Ayes, sir; there are differences,
but those differences are more in
duenced by the manner of feeding than
by the breeding Of cattle. We have
round that a coarse-bred animal will
make more gain than a fine-fleshed an
imaI.
Q.-What advantage do you find In
the Shorthorns over the Herefords?
A.-Well, we have made some expe-
riments and have not found much diff
ference. Sometimes our experiments
have been In favor Of n breed and
sometimes of the other. l do not think
that We have carried u experiments
far enough to be able to say for a GER
tainty which Is best.
Mr.. Norton-You spoke of that three
or four year old Hereford steer gain
ing more rapidly than some steers of
another type. Did he not eat more?
Ayes, sir; the big steer is always
able to make a better gain than a small
one, but 1t costs more.
for feeding?
Al would not advise 1t as a general
thing.
Q.-Is their any difference between
the Herefords and Shorthorns as to
their grazing qualities?
Al am no prepared to express an
opinion.
Mr.. Potter.-I think there will be
more money lost in going to Mexico
and other places for feeders than we are
likely to make up for ONE time. They
Will put these cattle and their expen-
sive feed together and lose both.
Professor Cothell, being called on,
said that he agreed with Professor Cur
tfss as to the amount of gain certain
animals would make, but that there was
an immense difference in individuals
as to the use they could make of the
same food, even when such animals
were of the same breed.
A Member.-Some years ago some of
the farmers in my vicinity bought some
Texas cattle for ~fattening purposes.
But with the Texas cattle they bought
also the Texas fever and it worked gen.
eral havoc. Many of the farmers that
bought those cattle had been getting
along well, but SOM of them lost so
heavily through the fever that they
went out of the cattle business alto
gether. That experience should be q
lesson for all.
Mr.. c. M. Beeson spoke on the posi-.
bi1ities and probabilities of Western
Kansas. Western Kansas is now being
used for purposes which nature intend
ed 1t. Nature designed that part of the
state as a grazing region. But the i'm
migrants from Illinois and Ohio had
in their minds eye the pleasant homes
they had left. with orchards and grain
fields, and expected to reproduce the
same conditions in Western Kansas.
But the lessons Of experience. though
costly, are never forgotten. And the
attempt at farming with grain Is the
only III has been proved to be an
expensive failure. The possibility OF
success In Western Kansas has been
changed into a certainty.