The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1903-09-26
Selecting Cattle for Feeding.

Selecting Cattle for Feeding.
Weekly letter from the State Uuiver-
sity College of Agriculture, Columbia,
Mo.
The uncertainties of cattle feeding
can be reduced 10 the minimum by OBJ
serving certain fundamental principles.
One of the most important factors de-
termining the profit to be received
from feeding cattle, is the judicious Sc
lection of the cattle to be fattened.
The farmer generally pays too little
attention TO the demands Of the market.
The successful manufacturer is ever
alert to take advantage Of the demands
OF his customers. If the customer de-
mands a tall hat the manufacturer
makes haste to supply this demand.
1t Is profitable for him to do SO. The
manufacturer also takes advantage Of
efficient machines. The farmer should
De equally enterprisiDg in catering to
the general demand, and in using the
best machines. In no other branch of
Agriculture is the similarity between
manufacturing and agricultural opera
tons more striking than in the case Of
the cattle feeder. He employs raw
material in the shape OF corn, oats,
grass and hay and by the aid of the
machine, : which in this case is the ami
NAL fed, be produces a finished product.
beef. He should like the manufactu-
rer, produce an article which consul
mers demand and for which therefore,
they are willing to pay a good price.
There is a great discrimination on the
markets between cattle fed on the
same kind OF food for the same length
OF time. Some cattle sell for six cents
per pound, while others fed on exactly
the same food for the same length #
time, and equally fat, sell for five cents
q pound. 1t is not due to the kind of
food fed it is due in many cases to the
conformation Of the animal fed. The
cattle which bring a high price on the
market are cattle of the beef type.
They are possessed Of straight back
aud underline, they are broad, deep
and low down or blocky. They have
a relatively large head, small bones,
and smoothness over all which tends to
hide the hips and shoulders and other
prominences. The cattle which bring
the lower price on the market are gen.
orally scrubs OF natives having sharp
backs, thin TANKS, relatively large
bones and prominent hips and shout
ders. Their backs are narrow anc
their withers are sharp, and in gener-
al resemble the Jersey type Of cattle.
These cattle, no matter how much
corn, grass or hay they may consume,
can never hope to bring on the market
as high a price as the beef cattle de.
scribed above. But what is the real
difference between the two typesP
Why should the beef type of cattle
bring a higher price on the marketP
In every great market Of the world
there are certain portions of the beef
which bring a premium over the other
portions. These portions are called
porterhouse steak, the sirloln and the
prime of rib. Porterhouse steak sells
for as much as SO cents a pound In the
eastern markets. Sirloin and prime Of
rib are also high priced cuts. Other
portions, such as the round, the flank
and the RIB plate, sell for prices rang
ing from nine to four cents a pound.
Thus, an animal that can consume the
coarse products of the farm and can
produce therefrom porterhouse, sirloin
or prime Of rib, will always bring the
highest price on the market. Such an
imals always bring to the beef breeds.
These are the Sborthorn, the Aberdeen
Angus, Hereford and Galloway. The
Jersey, the scrub and the native can
never produce a high proportion Of
these valuable cuts. Their eoniorma-
ton is such that the porterbouse, sir