The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-31


There has been considerable COM
plant the past fall, and perhaps not
without reason, that the prices OF
grain. particularly wheat, were SO low.
Lately. in the northern part of the
state, the threatened raise in the
freight TO the coast still further de-
pressed prices.
1t does seem unfortunate that the
husbandman should receive such a
low price for his produce, and yet per-
haps it is not altogether an unmixed
evil. Grain prices are low, and yet,
animal products so good-butter,
cheese. horses, cattle and sheep? Hogs
have been better. yet even at prevail
ing prices can be fed at profit. 1t
seems to me that the present is a good
time to call attention to livestock hus-
bandry, a field that in some of its as
poets has not been exploited as it
should be by the Utah farmer. Per-
haps not without reason some farmers
may reply to the above. that they have
advantage of the present favorable
conditions. True, but why not? Then,
again, did the present but enforce a
lesson for the future and point the
road to more progressive agricultural
practice much will be gained
The farmers work must commence
with the soil-wheat is the farmers
capital. From the soil must come di-
rectly or indirectly all the crops. upon
nh hn 60 n
come. The direct crop grown upon
the land is the plantS-the vegetable
growth-grain and root crops of all
kinds.
The farmer who restricts his farm
operations TO the growth of plant crops
must of necessity grow the crops that
the market demands, generally few
in number, and thus cannot make such
good use of his soil as he whose meth
DDS of farming afforded opportunity
for growing greater variety of crops.
Opportunity Afforded.
Livestock farming affords such an
opportunity. Livestock is an indirect
crop from the farm They afford a
market for many crops that would not
otherwise be realized upon, and they
also afford an opportunity for concen-
trating the cheap coarse products into
more valuable ones. Livestock farm
ing offers a wide range of choice, and
ample opportunity is afforded for Sc
lection according to individual taste
and the suitability of the farm and To-
cality. There are horses of many types
and breeds; among cattle there are
the milk and beef types, and many
breeds of each. The sheep and the
hogs also afford many breeds to choose
from. Neither should poultry be left
out in considering what class or classes
of livestock a person should select.
In addition to specializing on some
particular types or breeds of livestock,
the farmer may also specialize in what
he does with them. Animals may be
sold as breeding stock. pure breeds of
high quality to be used in improving
the grade herds of the country; or they
may be used for work, or to produce
milk meat or wool upon the farm.
Animals are in some measure manu-
featuring machines for the farmer.
The food given them is both the drlv-
ing force and the raw material from
which the finished produce is manufac-
tured. Animals are mainly producers
of food. They cannot, however, in
crease the amount of food material. as
it is only small surplus of their food
that they can turn into meat, milk or
wool, but they make the coarse, cheap,
unstable farm crops into more con-
centrated and more valuable form-a
form in which it will sell more read
lily and may be marketed with proper
tionately less expense
From the farmers point of view the
production of animals and animal
products should be business propo-
sition. How to get the largest returns
from the farm.
Feeding the Farm.
;va-+oolr buShapdY.v &c maanS of
feeding the farm or maintaining its
fertility Large crop production can
not be maintained when the farm is
devoted to exclusive grain growing.
Thorough cultivation, crop rotation and
the growth of legumes, would probably
enable a farmer to grow large crops
for many generations, even if every
thing were sold off the farm. If the
legumeS were fed upon the farm, to
horses, COWS and other livestock, and
the manure carefully saved and spread
upon the land, the soil fertility would
be maintained at a much higher level,
as the animals return to the soil in the
manure from so to 30 per cent of the
valuable soil fertility taken up by the
plants. When we bear in mind that
the legumes have the power to gather
from the air important plant foods and
store them in their roots as well as in
other parts of the plant, it becomes
evident that the growth of such crops
with others in rotation, all of which
may be used in feeding animals. might
maintain indefinitely the soil fertility.
This is ideal farming. This condition
is possible even if a certain amount of
grain. as wheat or corn and such roots
as sugar beets and potatoes were sold
Of the farm.
The successful stock farmer not only
selects good animals, animals capable
Of the most efficient work, but he also
aims to maintain and even improve
upon the efficiency of the animal ma
chine. This improvement will arise
from the skillful use of the laws of he
redity, accompanied by intelligent feed
ing and good care. If the farmer has
common stock or grades he should aim
to improve them by crossing with
pure bred type of extra quality or ex-
ira efficiency. With pure bred ami
mails keep wedding out the poorest and |
raise stock only from the best. Even |
IN the selection of pure breds. as in |
all kinds of livestock. keep prominently !
n mind that efficiency, the large pow
ers to do work or to produce meat or
milk or wool is what gives value TO /
he animal.
An Illustration.
That there is a remarkable difference /
n the value of animals for these diff |
'erent purposes many Illustrations bear |
witness. Some weeks ago it was re-
ported in the papers that the Hon.
Noses Thatcher had sold a team of |
horses for $500. If it was merely horses
hese buyers wanted, 1 presume they |
.ould have bought a dozen to. fifteen
or the same money. Then why were
hey willing to pay such a large price
or one team? It was because this
cam was fitted through breeding and
raining to do very much better than