The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-08-15


w. @. swope of CORTLAND. Ala
lives just forty miles below the quar-
antlne lines. lie believes that q great
future Is before the South as a live
stock country. but he shares opposite
Views Of many cattlemen who consider
the danger OF Southern fever as a great
handicap. Speaking on this point he
says:
IF the cattle are handled rightly, /
the danger can be reduced to a mini /
mum but the moment the breeder OF |
the exposition management gets q little /
careless his herd Is gone. I have had
only one death among my Northern |
cattle in the past two years, and now
sec that / could easily have avoided
that. The case was that Of one Of my
young bulls, which / served to grade
cow She was teky. which did not
Of itself mean that the bull would
catch the fever but 1 carelessly de-
ferred spraying the animal with disin-
fectants until too late.
There is a general impression among
Northern cattlemen that the best thing
to do with their cattle when the stock
is shipped below the quarantine line or
otherwise exposed to Southern fever, is
10 inoculate them. For my own part
l am not in favor Of incubation. 1t
may be effective in the long run, but
COW or bull that has been inOculated
remains in poor half-sick condition
for four or five months after inocula-
ton. Thus the breeder loses so much
valuable time.
1.-THE way / handle my cattle Is to
spray them with disinfectants and l
have always found this works admir-
ably. especially so when l keep my
breeding stock in fenced pastures and
do not allow it to mingle with the wild
native cattle. l have constructed a
corral or series of chutes into which I
can drive the pure breds from time to
time and give them a good spraying.
Such a course Of procedure, combined
with common sense management, rem
ders Herefords as safe in the South as
in the North.
The crying need of my State as well
as the whole South is better cattle.
The people have at last come to reali-
cation of this think, and the future
will see rapid strides made in the i'm
proved quality Of our = age and feed
lot stock. The ever 9 essnt Jersey is
a too common class Of cattle down my
way. We have a few Durhams, but
not enough to begin to fill the needs
of the country. 1t is a good territory
for the Northern breeders to work up,
and think they will find it as satisfac-
tory an investment as their deals in
the Southwest.
1.-TWO years ago 1 bought five helfers
and one bull from Missouri breeders
giving over $4,000 for the animals. With
the single exception mentioned above
they have done remarkably well.
have crossed my bull with native
grade Durhams, and this spring ex
pect fifty calves, which l will raise
and fatten for the markets.
alabama offers plenty Of induce
ments to cattlemen. We have no hare
winters, and never worry whether
there is a bounteous corn crop or not
realizing that the cattle will carry owe
just as well on hay. My heifers viii
average well with any of the stock Of
fered in the ordinary present sale, ye
their only feed all winter has beer
fifteen pounds of hay each day.
I'VE have the land and the where
withal to handle Herefords and othe
fine cattle; all that is needed is littl
prodding of our stockmen and my Stat
will soon take a much higher rank il
the blooded stock raising business"