The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1903-03-13
Farm Stock.

The following is a paper read
by G.. S. Amsden at the farmers
meeting last Tuesday afternoon
at the court house:
A subject in which every farmer
in Grant county should be interested.
Though by this paper [ may not be
able to advance any new idea, how
ever it must be patent to each OF my
hearers that stock upon the farm is
the redeeming industry of all farming
in the northwest. The same condi-
tions have met the farmers OF every
grain producing state and in many
instances have met them with such a
strong hulwark of opposition that
they we're obliged to sacrifice prac-
tically two or three years OF work in
making a change from a dead and
flat failure of exclusive grain raising,
to grain and stock. A few men may
get rich by grain raising alone as |
have in mind some who have, but it
is not the general rule.
BY farm stock, | have in mind such
stock as is ordinarily raised upon the
farm for sale as a profit adjunct to
the general farm products. Every
farmer who raises stock at all usually
has a surplus over and above what
he needs for his own consumption
and use, and therefore seeks a market
for it at a cash price, whether 1t be
horses, cattle, swine or sheep.
And now for example suppose Mr..
Smith in his general persuits as a
farmer has produced more horses
than he needs for his own use upon
the farm, he will naturally be looking
for a buyer who can and will buy for
cash or it's equivalent. Mr.. Jones
appears in Mr.. Smiths neighborhood
to buy horses for his own use or for
shipment. Learning that Mr.. Smith
has horses to sell he drives over, but
Mr.. Smiths horses are not the kind
be wants. They are neither drafters
or drivers, neither coachers, express
horses or suitable for farm work;
so Mr.. Jones does not buy, to Mr..
Smiths great disappointment, who
says to his neighbor, there is no
profit in horse raising, because when
you do have some to sell you cannot
get rid of them. Now | wish to ask
who is to blame?: Is it not Mr..
Smith himself? If he had bred to
a sire that produced the class of
horses hal the market demanded he
would not have been dis appointed.
Now | conclude that Mr.. Smith was
one of that class OF farmers who are
apt to compute economy from the
wrong standpoint. He could get the
services of a sire that produced the
kind of horses that he raised for say
$500 when a sire that produces the
class of horses the market demanded
was commanding a fee of $1,000.
Brown, across the road used the
latter class and had no trouble in
selling his surplus horses at a profit.
OF cours Smith saved 500 and his
mares gave milk and that is about all
you can say. Now gentlemen, my
observation leads me to believe that
a farmer should select one Of the
classes of horses that the market
demands and then try to produce a
horse hat will bring the best price
in the market if he can.
A good draft horse will sell at
any time from the yard without put
ping any extra expense upon him.
While a first class driving horse
will bring a better price, but few
farmers have the time or money to
properly prepare this class of horses
for the market to get the best prices.
The same rule will apply to the
breeding of cattle except that cattle
at this day are not bred for strength
and speed as the horse, but for
| symmetry of form and food production
in the way of beef and butter. And
now l wish to say right here thai
flesh and butter at the present time
bring a better price per pound thar
bone and hair. | know Of farmers
in this county that are string Their
their calves from a herd of 20 or 2:
COWS by a bald faced, lined back
scrub that would not bring $500 per
hundred weight in the market, because
it is economy you know. While
the same man undoubtedly wonders
why it is that his neighbor who uses
a shorthorn sire gets from Zoe t(
SOC per hundred weight more for hi:
steers than he does, and also wonders
why his neighbours steers weigh from
25O to 300 pounds at the same
age when ready for market than his
does, and that it does not cost any
more to raise a good steer than a
poor one. OF course some farmer
are interested exclusively in butte
and for these | presume that some o
the exclusive butter breeders are bet
ter. In either case my advice is tt
head your herd with a first elias
registered sire.
The greatest surprise will be pro
duced by the first full blood sire
because upon the first cross you gain
so per cent full blood, second %
third 12A etc, but do not stop with tn
first cross, continue to keep a full
blood sire at the head of your herd
OF course it will cost you a littl
money to get a registered sire bu
if you try one on your herd and at tn
end of three years you cannot see
profit you may call me false prophet
My argument | think will apply t,
hogs and sheep also, but as there will
be papers read upon hog-raising tina
will undoubtedly cover that class o
stock more thoroughly than | hav
attempted to do, | will close by say
t ing. get the best full blood to hea'
your herd of COWS, and use the hes
sire with your mares and continu
| and | am confident of your success.
The result of the recent shorthor1
sale in Mifbank the 4th inst. i
not much of a surprise to me as tn