The Saint Paul globe., 1898-08-24
FATTENING RANGE STEERS
RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTS AT
THE MINNESOTA STATE FARM
Animals to Finish-Cheap
Reef, but the Best, Secured in
Short Space of Time - Some
Points on Sheep Industry From a
Wisconsin View.

The Orange Judd Farmer, In treating of
the recent experiments at the Minnesota ex-
pertinent station, speaks thus of the fat
tening Of range steers
To determine whether there is any profit
in bringing steers frcm Western ranges aid
fattenng them in Minnesota, the expert
ment station of that state purchased nine
2-year-o steers in Montana for $50 per
head, paying in addition S4.04 each for freight
and feed on the way. These cattle were tied
in stalls and fed l31 days beginning Dec. I,
1896. The grain feed cons sted of three parts
bran, three parts barley, three parts corn
and one part oilmeal Later the barley
omitted and double the amount of corn used.
TIE fodder consisted of corn ensilage and
mixed hay of Indifferent quality. The total
feed during the experiment cost SS4.76 The
steers sold for $3.50 TO- On the basis of the
cost, the steers worth Dec. 8. 1896,
S32S.59. Add to this the cost of fo,d and the
total outlay amounts to s41335 which leaves
a total net profit of S152.75 or $16.97 per steer.
This is exceptionally cheap beef, but feed
was very low, and the station concludes that
cattle averaging about 1900 lbs, when put
under experiment, can be brought 70 a good
finish. and in reasonable time, on a daily
allowance OF meal averaging not more than
lhs per day, with the adjuncts fed in this
experiment, and at a less cost than If larger
quantities of meal were fed. Range steers
put under what may be termed farm condi-
tions can be made to yield substantial
profit when judicously bought, fed and Sold
Since cattle that are being fattened in the
feed lots Of the West are usually fed much
larger quantities of meal grain than were
given the steers in this experiment the
conclusion would seem to be legitimate that
much OF the meal or grain so fed is wasted.
The same journal treating of the reviving
sheep industry. presents a letter written by
George +. Lewis, of Wisconsin, IN which he
says:
Agricultural as we'll as commercial prosper
ity depends upon fertile soil. The way to
maintain fertility cheaply is a live question
with many farmers, who have robbed their
most successful farmers have found sheep a
most profitable animal, and a most excellent
help in cheaply enrching and reclaiming
light and wornout land. Many instances
could be cited where sheep alone have i'm
proved and brought to a high state OF fer
tility farms which were 50 badly run out
that they failed to produce a paying crop.
case in point. a field containing fifteen
acres which did not grow good crop or
oats was. seeded to timothy, red and alsike
clover. flock of sheep was givu access
after harvest The result was thirty large
loads of the finest quality of hay the next
season. A flock of well bred sheep is useful
in many ways. They are great scavengers,
eating up and converting weeds and brush
into cash, and after harvest if allowed to
run on grain fields, will pick up that which
would otherwise be lost, much better than
other stock.
have also found a new use for my fa-
yorites. If you nave a piece OF land which
is TOO rich to produce a crop of oats that
will stand up, pasture them down early in
the season, only turning your sheep on
MHS4l iduu anu UdtS are uTy. lou Will De
surprised at the crop harvested, as well as
the gain made By sheep and lambs Sow
clover and rape or turnips on the grain fields,
and when pastures short and harvest
past. the sheep will be contentedly grazing
laying fat on their backs, on your land, and
filing your pocketbook.
The future for the sheep is particularly
bright. We as a nation have only just COM
menced to learn that spring lamb is delicious
and prime mutton healthful. While receipts
Of sheep p the leading markets are larGer
prices are good which shows that peoplF/Sre
consun1ing morA mutton than fornagrly.
Mani object to sheep because they require
better fences than cattle, but l wish to re-
mind that class ttat a farm to bring the
most profit must be fenced to turn sheep and
hogs as well other stock and that good
sNeep fence is also a good cattle and horse
fence.
White at times sheep have not been as
profitable other stock, yet on an average
| think they will compare very favorably
with any farm animal in cash returns, while
The laaor in caring for them is less than for
eieht\ cattle or hogs. Stick to your sheep,
Tor they VIII enrich your farm and bring you
prosperity,