The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-03-11
Live Stock.
BRRR PRODUCTION IN THE SOUTH.

About An "1dear Animal That Doesn't
Exist.
Correspondence OF The Progressive Farmer.
We must look further, then, for
the reason of the beef steers greater
value and consequent popularity
Early maturity at once suggests it.
self, but, while it is an important
quality, the difference between our
beef and dairy breeds in this respect
is not so great as some think
We saw in last weeks article that
the beef steers reached a consider
ably higher weight at three years
old than the scrubs, and dairy bred
steers, but as this weight was, pound
for pound, produced at about the
same cost it gave no great advan-
tage. Although weight alone does
not constitute maturity, it is fact
that the beef steer does mature
earlier; that is, becomes fit to pro
duce prime beef at a younger age
than the scrub, but this quality is
not by any means the chief cause of
his popularity with packers, butchers
and feeders.
To find wherein the beef steer
exOels the dairy bred steer, We must
go to
THE DRESSED CARCAssEs.
Here we find a marked difference
sufficient to sustain all the claims
made by those who advocate the
beef breeds for beef. In fact, the
buyers know the superiority of the
beef bred steers carcass so we'll that
of the eighteen steers tested by the
Iowa Experiment. Station, the aver
age price for Herefords, Shorthorns,
and Angus, at Chicago, was &6. .458
per hundred live weight, while the
average price of the ,Holsteins and
Jerseys was $4.75pe hundred pounds
live weight. This is a difference of
Sl.7O8 per hundred pounds live
weight, or about So per cent. in favor
of the beef breeds.
This Is distinct and decided ad-
vantage for the beef steer and it will
be interesting as well as instructive
TO inquire into the reasons why the
buyers made this difference. These
reasons can be clearly stated as fol-
lows: The available data from
slaughter tests made by the various
experiment stations show that
TEE PROPORTION OF DRESSED WEIGHT
TO GROSS WEIGHT
is decidedly higher in the bred
steer. Fifty-three Hereforda, Short
horns and Angus averaged 646 per
cent. dressed weight to live weight,
while eighteen Jerseys, Holsteins
and natives averaged 81 per cent,
a difference of 81 per cent. in favor
of the beef breeds. This is probably
a more favorable showing than the
dairy bred steers deserve, as the DIFF
ference is about five per cent. in pro
portion of dressed carcass to gross
weight.
Another point at which the beef
steer has a decided advantage, as
shown by the experiment stations
is in the proportion of loose tallow
to weight of dressed carcass. In the |
Shorthorns, Herefords and Angus
above referred to the loose tallow
averaged 1S 2 per cent. of the dressed |
weight while in the Holsteins and
Jerseys it averaged 1885 per cent.
In faot, the Hereford steers weigh
ing 1,022 pounds only had 129 pounds
of loose tallow, while the Jersey
steers weighing $50 pounds, Or 142
pounds less, had 165 pounds of loose
tallow. In other words the Jerseys
weighed 143 pounds less but had SO
pounds more loose tallow. Tallow is
cheaper than lean meat, hence the
of the beef bred steer.
The point where the beef steer
most clearly shows his superiority is
In the proportion of the valuable
parts or cuts to the cheaper in his
dressed carcass. The shoulder and
neck cuts sell for from one-third to
one. half that brought by the loin
and other choice outs of the body. It
is in his ability to put flesh on his
carcass at the right place, or TO pro
duce a higher per centage of these
choice outs that gives the beef bred
steer his
GREATER VALUE AS BEEF PRODUCER
In speaking of the experiment.
made at the iowa Experiment Sta.
tion 20 - comparative values