The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-04-14
Hereford Conditions
"A paper read by John Costing at the re-
cent Hereford sale)

"A paper read by John Costing at the re-
cent Hereford sale)
Twenty years ago at sale Of Short
horns in Kentucky the vendor ap-
preached me and said: Can you read?'
YES" Can you writer" yes" And
now, after q lapse of so much time, l
am asked to talk. Talking is natures
gift, but unfortunately for me, that gift
was lightly bestowed. If my education
had been given the care in every re-
spect these beautiful specimens OF
Hereford cattle indicates, then might
have responded in degree and manner
acceptable and in line, up to date like
those creditable members of the bovine
race soon to be placed at your mercy
to set their real value
Col. Woods, from his wealth OF sta
tistical knowledge, researches, retro
acting 100 years, told us in this sale
ring last fall that the average weight
of cattle was then about 345 pounds
avoirdupois. We jump forward fifty
years when monster of any breed was
the drawing card in point Of merit
Then malformed brutes, masses OF
, bone and fat, were appreciated, but
like the lump of clay in the hands OF
the sculptor, the first daub on canvas
from the artists brush; the wool and
warp of the carpet-weaver, about
which in the early stages of either,
might justly call the remark, mo mean
ing's there conveyed" Days roll on
with the piece of clay, the picture, the
carpet, and soon we see the astounding
results; so for the last fifty years a
work through natures demand on time
cannot be accomplished as that OF the
artisan A work that has cost count
less dollars, for experiments have been
going on in this special line Of indus
try The careful breeder has rounded
off the shapeless corners of the I'M
comely monster by judicious mating,
and all the known methods honestly
acquired and applied. Raising this
original breed of beef cattle to the
present high standard of merit-name-
ly, perfection in quality, perfection IN
contour perfection in character, al
ways uniform in markings, ample
weight for any breed proportionate
with age; in fact, all the essentials OF
the best breed on earth. When 1t was
Hewer with Herefords, Bates with
Shorthorns, McCombie with Angus,
years ago, results Of their labors were
cause of wonderment. Contrasted with
the present time, the wonder is re-
versed. Why breeders will continue
to patronize, feed and mature the YER
liable scrub, carrying and bearing such
burden for the white man."
With competition gaining faster than
such steers in a feed lot is positive
stupidity The improvement OF the
beef breeds is no longer fad, but
mercantile proposition; something de-
manded for the protection of all cattle
of our country, and not exclusively
exported from the livestock markets
of our country, and not exclusively in
Kansas City. In this age of progress
sion, let your actions be governed by
the demand of the times; il raising
registered cattle, buy the best; II rails
ing grades, buy the best sire your bank
account and judgment justities. You
cannot afford to use grade in a small
bunch. 1t is not near so eXcusable as
If done by the ranch-owner, and lndt
on account of stupendous outlay. Even
such an excuse has been plattened out
within the last few months by stock
brought from Texas ranches, sired by
registered bulls, sold in this same pa
vilion. Two years ago l received let
ter from a native in Iowa, then In Lon
don, England. He said: II am amazed
and dazed at the remarkable specimens
Of beef steers, both in quality, weight
and number, from the Argentine Re
public" Since his return we have fire.
ouently discussed this brave subject
which demands our careful attention.
Beef raisers and beef feeders in this
country have got to look out. Again,
during the Shorthorn Breeders of Mis-
souri, and Kansas convention here last
month, M. Hanna of Howard, Kas.,
said in his speech: When in England
and at Birkenhead, virtually Liver
pool last summer, we saw cargo un'
loaded of grade Herefords and grade
Shorthorn cattle from Argentina, that
were full of quality, in fine condition,
considering a thirty days ocean voy-
age, and they would weigh, according
to my judgment, an average of 1,5UO
pounds, and really better than any
thing l saw from the United States in
the same port"
Now, gentlemen, we must not fail to
see what confronts us. This same Mr..
Sotham at one time catered to the
Argentine Republic by taking there
Hereford cattle, and for aught we know
some of those steers were offspring
from ancestry he took out, proving, by
Mr.. Hanna's statement, very creditable
results have followed. And here this
gentleman is in our midst to-day with
a bunch far more excellent than cur
rent goods of his earlier experience.
So. to keep ahead of our opponents,