The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-06-25

kinds of meats should induce the farm
ers of this section to consider the all
visibility of raising more beef cat
tie. The dairy interests are now pre-
dominant, but the fact that the east
Is supplied with meat from the far west
is a condition not very creditable to
eastern farmers. The butchers in the
cities ard towns are ready TO rebel
against the western beef, but the stern
fact is apparent that they canno' re-
ly upon our farmers to supply choice"
steers. This condition is due to the ut
ter disregard of the farmer to the use
of the beef-producing breeds. In the
west. on the ranges, whether the cows
are scrubs or grades, the bulls are
Herefords, Shorthorns. Angus o. Gal
loways. and the calves are therefore
valued for their rapidity Of growth and
capacity for producing the largest car
cass in the shortest possible period CT
time.
On the dairy farms Of the east the fa-
vorite breeds are the Jerseys, "
stems, Guernsey, Ayrshires, and tie
object of the dairymen, some iaving
special attention to the production of
butter, while others sell milk direct
to the dealers. Where the great mis-
take is made is in the keeping If scrub,
or half-bred bulls. the calves being
sold when but few days old, being
considered of no value whatever. some
s,1t.s
If the beef producing Duiis we're used
even the calves from the dairy cows
would be much more valuable, and il
retained on the farm until marketed
would pay fair profit. The western
farmer aims to get his steer in
to market condition when it is
only two years old. and be-
lieves in general feeding as well as
skill in breeding, and only an animal
that is well bred and adapted for the
purpose is capable of giving such good
results. The western packers make a
large profit from the by-products. such
as blood, hoofs, hair, horns, bides,
bones, etc, but such materials can be
as easily saved and marketed by our
eastern butchers, for they well under
stand the importance of so doing. The
difficulty is that the eastern farmer will
not raise choice steers. Ii is true that
thousands of cattle are raised and sold
on eastern farms but only small pro-
portion are bred for quality, due to the
use of inferior sires.
The farmers who have given their
attention to the product n of beef cat
tie do not always secure as large re-
turns for milk and butter, hut they
get better results in that direction than
do many farmers who buy their fresh"
cows, and who keep three cows that
do not give as much milk al can be de-
rived from two good ones. The pure
bred beef-producing amin ais. yet they
give more milk than grad or scrub
COWS, and grade cows. W iere the bull
is pure-bred animal e one of the
beef-producing breeds, will sire valu-
able calves that will be worth more in
two years than the milk that was re-
ceived from their dams during the pc.
riod of their growth from birth to the
shambles.
There is another factor to be con-
sidered-labor. After a calf is wean-
ed it requires but little labor on the
part of the farmer. The dairyman
rises early and works we'll into the
night. He must milk his COWS, cool
his wilk. ship 1t to market, feed the
cows, clean the stalls, and, in order to
finish his work in time for the raiirold
trains, his wife. da1g. tcrs. sons and
hired man must assist Much of this
labor of the members Of the family is
not valued by the farrnc: as an ex-
pense because 1t does not call for cash
outlay, and he therefore bases his profit
on the difference between cash received
and cash expended, when the fact is
that mis- family is working for moth
ing, for If he placed fair estimate up
mako no profit at nj! rs 1t is wcll
known that, even with cheap 4amily
labor, many farmers b,rely keep out
of debt, much OF their misfortune,
however, being due due TO their preju-
dice against. or wilful disregard of the
pure breeds. If the caves were well
bred. anQ raised on the farm to mar
ketable age, they would displace one
half the number Of COWS and largely
reduce the labor required.
Hundreds of dairymen will admit
that lney do not average SEQ per COW
for one year. as clear profit. and a
steer should exceed that sum. Not all
steers so to market wien two years
old, but are also kept until they are
three and four years old. but they Lake
great gains in weight during the ex-
ira year. ard are sold just a' socn as
they cease to rapidly Increase in
weight. They are well bred, and are
weighed every month. every pound CT
food supplied them beng Noted in
book. 1t is the systematic method that
gives the profit and eastern farmers
now have an opportunity of making
larger profits on cattle thsn eyer be-
I .