Arizona republican., 1898-02-01
THE DEPARTMENT ACTIVE.
What the Government is Doing for
 the Live Stock Interests.


 the Live Stock Interests.
 Hon. James Wilson, secretary of agriculture of the United States, was unable to attend the convention of stockgrowers at Denver, but the fol- lowing communication from him was read before the assembly:
 What is our government doing for the stock interests?'' Probably the best work the government, is doing for the stock interests is in connec- ton with the experiment sta ations and agricultural colleges where stock breeding and feeding are taught to the young farmers, and where eXperi- ment stations are carried on regarding all the features of stock raising; where the anatomy and physiology of the anima1s are taught; composition of the forage on which they live; and the sciences which apply to the most economic feeding, for the best devel- opment of the animal and in the in ferest Of the pocket book of the own CT. This is porbably the very best work that is being done. l cannot imagine successful stock growing without connection with the dairy, even in the mountain states. This should be given more attention and 1 am sure the people of the mcunaiin states will give it more attention. The colleges have been doing work in teaching the sciences that underHe dairying. They have been doing work along this line long enough to teach good dairying to such an extent as to justify this department in finding markets abroad for American butter,
 dn in hn world This all comes from rhe en- dowment by the United States of col 1eges and experiment stations. I might remark, incidentally, that the work done in one state is only sent ou, to the people of that state in the shape of bulletins. Much of this work has national bearing and is of na- tional interest. I have the depart ment here at work preparing farmers bulletins from the reports of the sev- eral stations, so as 70 make the dis coveries of the different stations com mon property. This is another thing that is being done.
 I have in mind now the organization of work in some of the experiment stations, under some of our bright est directors in connection with this dapa rtment, for the purpose of getting facts in consecutive order regarding
 the feeding of animals from their earliest infaLcy 70 maturity. 1 will illustrate the necessity for farmers bulletins along this line. The young things just born are 85 per cent wa ter. They must grow bone and mus cle and fat, and get all these things from their ration. WheT they mature the case is quite different. Their bones have grown, their muscles are extended, and they require only fat. When bunch of mature animals are put up to fatten, fattening is all that sakes place. The bone and muscle have been grown, and consequently the nutrition that makes bone and muscle cannot be extracted from the ration by the animal after he has matured. This is proven conclusively by the fact that young hnimals gain more rapidly than older animals from the same amount of feed. It has been proven by the experiment sta tions that he very young animal gains one pound live weight from one to two pounds of dry matter in it's ration An animal c3n be grown up to sixteen to eighteen months of age and gain on an average of one pound in live weight from five pounds of dry matter in its food, where the ration has been properly adjusted to the age of the animal. The feeders of mature anima Is, it has been found by investi- gatton, get only one pound of gain from ten pounds of dry matter in the ration. This is an illustration of the necessity for more knowledge of the principles that underlie feeding. I propose to have this work done as soon as I can set it a going, and the facts will be made common property.
 The convention at Denver will con sisl largely of intelligent gentlemen who are interested in ranch condi- tions. l had the pleasure of visiting some of the ranches last summer, and I intend to do so again next summer. I noticed that the range grasses are exceedingly nutritious, and where the animals get plenty. of grazing they grow as rapidly as animals do on the blue grass pastures further east. 1 noticed also that the want of sufficient winter forage preven,s the growth and development of these animals, espec- ially the horse. Europe buys a great many horses, and. will buy more We have the cheapest grasses and grains | in the world. We are natural horse men; we all love the horse.
 l am satisfied that the range horse, | II he is kept growing throughout the | winter by the addition of little grain | to his range condition would be made | to weigh 300 pounds more than he | does now when four years old He | would then make the best remount in the world. Al present it dln be said 1 that he has the best feet, legs, vitality and lungs of any horse in the world: but he is not quite heavy enough. It