The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-10-14
Present Condition of
Live Stock industry
(By II. SEWART.)
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change, pregnant with Importance, /
mas occurred in the modern condition or
cur agriculture. Until now, the culture
OF crops has been Of the highest impoi-
tance, and the rearing and feeding OF farm
animals has been quite a secondary mat
ter / he farm fo- several years past
mas felt the eXacting competition of the
Western ranges on which cattle ard
sheep could be reared and fed and fn-
ished for market at a mere trifiine cost,
With which the farmer could not com
pete. SO that he has. confined his atten-
tion to the production Of grain crops, ana
the dairy, and has been forced to leave
the feeding of cattle, sheep ard even
horses, TO the Western rangers. 1t has.
however, been the history OF nations. that
III the increase OF population the growth
OF towns and cities has been more rapid
than that OF the farms, and we see III
every country but our own, the foreign
trade in farm products has increased year
by year, until it has happened that most
of the largest nations of the world have
been extensive purchasers of all our farm
products And the ease and economy BY
which these have been made here has
kept down the prices until the farmers OF
the purchasing nations have been obliged
help them III the production OF them. But
there has been such rapid increase OF
population here this side of the world
and we'll of industrial! and mechani-
cal elpployments, thc>t just nov we are
in actual sight Of scarcity of live
stock, and Of meats demanded by the
butchers. The present condition is al
most alarming, tor with q doubled price
for the common household meats
than 4 half Of our population is driven
to exercise the strictcat economy to en-
able them to secure even d decreasce
supply of this indispensable food. Ii is
only such occurrence as might have
| been foreseen, and has been by far
sighted persons Interested. The demand
/ tor farms TO meet the increased and still
! increasing consumption of prodncts O.
| the soil, but especially of live stock, is
! such that III the pagerneSs to procure the
fresh lands Of the West, crowds
! filling up every Westgoing train on the
railroads, and by the occupation Of the
lands the supply of pasture for cattle -
rapidly decreasing, and iii almost every
! favorable locality those Western lanes
! which are most fayorably situated,
! rivalling the Eastern farms IL selling
| value even with the buildings thrown in.
! ? his is d most interesting condition 10;
J with those who have been growing grain
| crops 10 compete with those of the West,
even as far as the borders OF the Pacific
! Ocean. Indeed, the time has come for
! what may be said to be the parting o,
/ the way for the farmers east Of the
! great rivers The old States as they
are called cannot compete With the new
er West in growing grain, which is trans
! ported at low 4 cost that there is
! now left no margin in favor of the East
! ern farmers who are growing wheat OF
corn solely. We must realize the cOndi-
tion in which Other farmers Of the world
have been fo- many years, condition
+ which has led 20 the expression of the
idea conveyed il the Well known ada3",
to the effect that the feeding OF cattle
is the most important part Of agriculture,
Ia tact we must HOW adopt this special
Industry to save ourselves from the
,ress:re of those public burdens Whicn
are heavi est in thicllly populated COM
munity. We may now make money by
growing crops to feed to cattle to sell,
in fact cur products to the butcher IN
form Of live stock, saving the manure so
accumulated TO replerish the land with
the fertility which has been, and always
Will be. taken from the soil by crops
which are sold away from the farm, and
by the better culture may thus give
10 tho,n We may take q lesson from
the European farmers who have been IN
this same predcament for all the time
since cur cheap cattle and other products
have un larscld .hem by a full fourth IN
tensive culture must be the rule now.
From the majority Of farms not pound
of hay or grain must be sold, and root
crops silage must be produced 70
feed the live stock through the winters,
while we either rear the cattle or sheep.
to feed: or purchase the Western grown,
unfinished steers to fit them for local sale
by feeding the crops we grow. We may
take a lesson from the European farmers.
especially those OF England. The English
farmers are purchasing yearly, thousands
Of our store cattle for the express pu7-
pose of feeding them on their farms. OH
the roots they grow or on the rich pasture
they possess by virtue Of the most IN
tense culture of the land for this SPECIAL
purpose. The English pastures average
a yearly product of five hundred pounns
of meat to each acre, every year. As
meat is now selling for twenty-five cents
or more per pound in England, each acre
of good grass pasture, therefore, pro-
luces e125 dollars, with market foS
the stock at the frCnt gate. We ca''
beat this if Will take the rishl
course. The English farmers grow root
crops to feed with the straw and otf
American corn, which has crossed IL"
ocean for this purpose Let us thll'A
of this fact. And then think Of our corn
which will produce, easily under sood
culture, seventy five bushels OF more q
grain to the acre. or forty tons OF s'l2ge
with the corn in it. SO making each ION
OF it worth two tons Of English grown
roots And then let US think OF the re-
! suit, We feed this food. and Whlle we