The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-12
GOOD WINTER FOR CATTLE
WHILE THE WEATHER HAS BEEN
SEVERE, GRASSES HAVE BEEN
OBTAINABLE
Heavy SHOWS Are What ParaIyze
the Cattle BusinesS-W. e. Pr
kins, of North Dakota, Speaks
Well of the Mfnnesota Feeders

w. E. Pirkins, of Eddy county, N.
D., passed through the city yesterday
on his way to Springfield. ILL.,. where
he will purchase train load of Illinois
Shorthorn cattle and import them into
North Dakota. Mr.. Pirkins owns a
large ranch thirty miles north of
Pierre, and is also largely interested
in the Dakota Cattle company, which
has just been organized. He was seen
by The G O b at the Merchants last
night and gave some interesting facts
regarding the general condition of the
North Dakota live stock and grazing
interests.
THE past winter has been extremely
favorable for cattle oil over Southern
North Dakota. Although the weather
has at times been very cold, we have
had little or no snow, and the cattle
have been able to get the grass My
herd has been out all winter, and have
done very we'll. The range grass in
North Dakota cures in the ground, and
when the fall of snow is light the cat
tie can live on this all winter and re-
quire no shelter whatever. The heavy
SHOWS are what paralyZe the cattle
business, as it becomes necessary for
the ranchman to feed hay to his cat
tie and oftentimes this cannot be done
unless he has taken the special pre-
Taken altogether, however, / think
the cattle business has never been
more promising than today. The
weather so far has helped us material
ly. and if the present market for beef
continues the returns for next falls
roundup will break the best records.
Feeders can be bought for $15 to
S16. and it does not cost to exceed SIS
per head to feed them the year around.
If, indeed the conditions are favorable
during the winter months it can be
done at even a lower figure The profit
per head differs considerable, accord
ihg to the class of stock you have and
the grazing facilities at hand, and the
market which is the greatest consid-
Grafton effecting the prosperity of the
stock man. Profit is made all the
way from $40 to 500 per head on this
range cattle, governed by general con-
ditions.
There are those who make great
deal Of money every year by selecting
a good grazing place and buying a
large number of feeders in the spring,
throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin.
They ship the Minnesota feeders to
North Dakota and follow them around
all summer or let the contract to some
one else. The season for this branch
of the cattle business opens about
April 1. and the steers and cows are
rounded up in the fall, fat and ready
to be loaded on the cars Tor either the
st. Paul or Chicago market
Some Of the biggest cattle men In
the country have secured their start
in the business in this way. The ex-
perienced stockman does not buy
North Dakota stock and feed them for
the market, but comes to Minnesota
and gets better class of stock. AS q
rule the North Dakota bred cattle have
been starved when calves and do not
take on flesh as readily as the Mime
sofa stock. 1 think taken all around
Minnesota feeders are the best.
This latter branch of the cattle
business is very profitable. In addition
to being fat in the fall nearly evely
COW will have calf. which adds just
so much to the profit of feeding 1t
takes but a short time for a man to
double his herd. as the kind increase
at about the rate of 75 per cent every
year.