Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-25

thousands Of acres Of the finest of grass
which is never cut even in years when the
crop is short. II is too far from market
much of it,, to pay TO ship and there are not
cattle enough in the country to consume 1t
all There are few directions in which there
is a greater amount OF undeveloped wealth
in the state than this.
Live stock Interests.
While accurate in one sense the table OF
live stock lacks much Of conveying a COM
plcte idea Of the extent of that industry. The
figures are taken from the returns of the as
SCISSORS These are taken on April |, which
practically eliminates from the showing the
large cattle and sheep feeders. From re-
turns made to commission men it is ahso-
lutely known that more sheep are shipped
into the state during the fall and fattened
during the winter on Nebraska corn than
the entire number returned by the assessors.
These are all out of the feeding pens by the
time the assessor gets around and there
fore do not figure in his returns. The
number Of sheep shipped in for feeding pur
poses is variously estimated at from 100000
to 900 900 head. The industry is rapidly
growing one and II is altogether likely that
the latter figure is not far from correct The
amount given in the table, 3Sl ,367 repre-
sents the number of sheep resident Of the
state, if the expression is allowable.
The assessors returns show 1885, ,7S2 head
of cattle in the state. The assessors do not
list anything under 1year-old and
these figures represent the number Of mature
cattle owned in the state on April 1. What
has been said in regard to sheep is also true
of cattle. The assessors returns practically
eliminate the big cattle feeders who draw
their supply almost exclusively from the
ranges of the west. Some of these of course
are from western Nebraska, but a very large
percentage come from other states These
cattle are bought every year after the size
OF the corn crop is determined, feeders buy
ing as many cattle as there is corn tributary
to their market TO fatten. In view OF the
immense crop of corn and the good price in
prospect for fat cattle, the number which
will find their way into Nebraska feed lots
will be larger this season than ever before.
The records of the South Omaha stock yards
| show that this is not mere speculation, the
number of feeder cattle being in excess of
any previous year. Up to the time the
demand for feeder cattle became brisk the
| cattle receipts at the yards were many thou
sand head short of last year. Since that
time the receipts have grown rapidly until
now the total is in excess of last year.
Leads rs Il Feeding State.
In respect to cattle feeding Nebraska
stands without rival. No other state which
has the corn is better supplied with hay and
| rough feed and few as we'll No other is so
| close to the great ranges where cattle OF
| good grade can be procured so readily.
Money is plentiful and easily obtained for
| this purpose and the great bulk of Ne
braska corn will find it's way to market in the
| shape of beef, pork and mutton. There are
! many of the largest corn growing counties
In the state which ship practically no corn
| at all. Where cattle feeders take the corn 1t
means from l to 8 cents per bushel added to
the price for the benefit of those who sell
| and still more to those who feed their own
| corn.
| The 1,929,17S hogs returned by the asses
sors represent the number of mature animals
| returned for the purpose of taxation. Pigs
are by law exempt from taxation and
under the system of low assess
ments prevailing in this state nothing les.
| than a mature animal ever catches the
| assessors eye. AS with cattle and sheep, the
| stock is the lowest at that time of the year
These in brief, are the principal resources
| which have made Nebraska one of the mos
prosperous states in the union and which
will this year send it along still further VI
toward the front. The entire country is en-.
joying season of prosperity and the Ne
braska farmer, thanks to a rich soil ant
favorable climate, added to his own in
dustry, is going to have his share all O
the time and this year a little more.
LIVE STOCK INTERESTS OF STATE,
Figures Returned by the Asscssor
of the Various Counties.