Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1903-11-06
Farming near Staunt0n.

Farming near StauntOn.
Thomas P. Grasty, who is associat
ed with Richard H. Edmonds. CT Balti
more. in the publication of the "Man
ufacturers' Record,'' and The South
} ern Farm Magazine" passed through
the city last week on his way to th,
State Fair In Owensboro. Although
| Mr. Grasty has been unusually sue
cessful as a newspaper man, he has re
Gently become SO interested in fine live
stock that he glories in calling him
self farmer and stock breeder, being
the wner of a grazing farm in the ia
nous Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
near Staunton. He has a herd of Short
horns and herd of Aberdeen Angus
and is devoting his energies as a writ
er to the opportun ity which the South.
ern States offer for the profitable rails
ing of cattle.
Mr.. Grasty told yesterday how it
happened that he got to be farmer
and how it became necessary to sub
stitute thoroughbreds for ordinary live
stock OF the genus scrub" ''Several
years ago." said Mr.. Grasty, yielding
to an innate fondness for country life.
I decided to buy NE farm in striking
distance of Baltimore. The place /
selected appealed to me more on &C
count of the bird hunting 1t afforded,
It picturesque situation and It's prox-
unity to SO attractive q little city as
Staunton, than On account of its de-
STABILITY for raising wheat and corn.
Soon after got it, however, l Observ-
ed that it's uncultivated fields went
into blue grass, as they say in Cen.
tral Kentucky, and then it occurred to
me that must have some cattle and
sheep and hogs to eat that bluegrass.
l knew precious little about cattle, still
less about sheep. and nothing at all
about swine. Nevertheless, sailed in
and bought enough to stock my farm
to its full capacity. Although L had
plenty of grass my cattle didn grow
as fast as expected. My sheep failed
to bring the profits [ had figured out
and my hogs ate their heads off. long
before they got fat enough to sell.
asked every farmer 1 knew what was
the matter, among them that already
celebrated Kentucky .agriculturist.
Col. Emmet Il. Logan, OF. Warren
county. who paid me a visit not long
before be fiually decided to Quit news
papering and fellow his natural bent.
At that time he didn't seem to be able
to make out just what the trouble was;
but he would know now if called to
sit in judgment on similar case.
Maybe he knew then, but like some
Of my other friends pretended not TO
known through fear of hurting my
feelings. Most amateur farmers are
prodigiously sensitive to criticism of
their f0cks and herds.
Zone day l took my wife. who had
been in Baltimore since L bought my
cattle, down to see my farm. What
wretched little steers !! was her. cruel
exclamation. Surely they are not
yours, she added apologetically. She |
was raised in Woodford county, KEN
lucky, and knew thing or two about |
steers. At the end O.. 1.-The inspection
she remarked: Y ou have stocked your
farm with scrubs. Get rid of them all |
and go to Kentucky and buy yourself
some thoroughbreds.
II took her advice, gotssome thor |
oughbred Shorthorns, some thorough |
bred Aberdeen Anguses, some thor |
oughbred hogs, and I also got the fin
est bunch of sheep that l could pick
out. and now l am the widest enthu-
siast in Virginia about all sorts OF
thoroughbreds. | am on my way to
the State Fair in Owensboro to see
the finest specimens and learn all l
can about the different breeds. l am
going to write for the Southern Farm
Magazine published at Baltimore)-l
a periodical in which 1 am somewhat
interested-the result of my observa-
tions Ny aim in this is to arouse the
farmers of the Southern States to q
realization of how much they are los
ing by raising SCRUBS and how much
they might make by improving the
b-oada of,thair live stock The SOuth
is In the main we'll adapted to hog
raising and cattle raising, especially
since the multiplication of cottonseed
oil mills has placed at the planters
door the best and cheapest winter food
to be found in the United States.
However, there are many plantations
In the South where cattle are brought
through on grass alone. louisville