The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-12-17
CATTLE
Paper read at the Farmers Institute

tNn lie
Paper read at the Farmers Institute
by A. M. Pryor.
At the request of your Secretary l
was assigned the important task of writ
ing paper on cattle for the Farmers
Institute of Decatur County. We're l
able to give you my forty years of OK
perience correctly, a part of it at least,
would be of interest to you. The mat
ter of breeding for economical meat
production, the cardinal point to be
kept in view, is early maturity. I'm
der present circumstances Of farming
with higher expenditure and labor, in
creased taxation, with a score of other
ills to which farming is heir to, early
maturity in the animal, and the pro-
duction Of the largest amount of meat
with the smallest amount Of offal,
should be the aim of the breeder and
grazer.
Close observation will convince Ills
that most of our breeders of cattle have
4 some peculiar properties, which especi-
ally adapt them to the district in which
they have been bred and grazed for
generations.
! In selecting the improved breed of
each kind we obtained the best meat
producers. This remark applies to
cattle, sheep and hogs alike. In select
ing an animal for breeding or fattening
purposes it is necessary to select a
moderately small head wide between the
eyes, fine muzzle, with good open nos
trils, neck set we'll upon shoulders,
small round throat, good depth in
shoulders, broad and straight back,
large girth, broad behind the shoulders,
prominent brisket, short legs, large
bone, not too coarse and full and heavy
TANKS. With such points we may ex-
pect to rear and fatten stock capable
of laying the greatest amount Of meat
upon the prime parts. The hide OF such
an animal should be mellow and covered
with soft and glossy hair. In the Short
Horn the Hereford and the Improved
Angus we have this almost to perfection.
! In perfect animal the breast should
1 stand prominently out before, the fore
legs coming down on a level with the
knee joint, giving wide back and good
wide breast, and most other good points
are insured. Upon the point of early
breeding we have the valuable opinion
of number of well known authorities,
Mr.. r. A. Alexander and G. NJ. Bedford
of Kentucky who were eminent breed
ers, and number of Iowa and Illinois
breeders, all good authorities. The de-
sire for presents advantage in breeding
too young, leads to great evils in the
future. By placing animals too young
in breeding condition you tax nature
too heavily and two evils ensue,
the parent is stunted and the pro-
geny is smaller than it otherwise would
!! be when nature is busily employed add
n ing to the growth; to the size and COM
! pletion Of every muscle, bone and Wis
cera Of the animal. Every particle that
goes to the building up Of the animal
system being derived from blood Of that
animal, the blood being supplied with
those materials exclusively from the
food which is taken into the stomach
digested, every organ Of the body being
taxed to the utmost, to fabricate the
necessary materials for growing muscles,
ligaments, and the bones of the young
animal, by causing this creature to be
impregnated at such an early period in
it's growth you call a new set of organs
and functions into activity and further
you call another creature into existence
having like structure to be built up, but
while you do this you can not add to the
digestive or the assimulative powers of
the animal; you have no more material
with which to supply the two bodies
than you have for the one. The certain
result Of breeding from heifers at too
early an age will be a race Of cattle di-
minished in size and weakened in con-
stitution. In my judgment at an age
of thirty to thirty-six months is young
enough for the heifer to calve, if she is
to be the mother of long line of large
noble animals, and no male can be profita-
, bly, used without injury until two years
of age. For economical meat production
[ know no better time than the early
spring, that gives you three summers
and two winters to mature your animal
In the care Of COWS bearing calves an
open shed is in my judgment far pref
cradle to close housing or tying up ir
winter. Fresh air and plenty of exer
else are as essential as their feed for
I their offspring. To be strong and
J healthy, it has been stated by good au.
thority that a COW giving $50 lbs. OF
milk i'm one wear p1vas mn in that mill,