Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1903-03-27
the COUNTY FARMERS INSTITUTE

the COUNTY FARMERS INSTITUTE
An Interesting Paper on Cattle
Feeding by j. A. Pierce,
of Hudson.
The committee on program have as
signed to me the topic feeding cattle,
not because they recognize me as an
thority on that subject. so much per
haps as for the hay seed they may have
discovered in my whiskers. Whatever
may have been their motive or inspira
ton have no desire to place the com
mittee in position where their good
Judgment might be called in question,
and while I would not have chosen
this particular topic for myself. full
ly appreciate its Importance, and will
endeavor to give you few thoughtt
on the subject, from my point of view
regreting only. that the subject hal
been assigned to one so poorly qualified
to entertain, or instruct you. i
Perhaps there is no topic connected
with the Agricultural industry, that il
more discussed among the farmers oi
Lincoln county today, than the ques
ton of feeding cattle for the market
And under the existing conditions tina
prevail in the big Sioux Valley, and il
the entire corn belt, there is perhaps
no question of more Importance; nc
question where so few agree, and Ger
tainly no question where so few have
successfully solved the problem to theil
entire satisfaction.
The current year seems destined tt
fool even the old. timers. To be or moi
to be, is the all absorbing question Of
the hour. To many, it is not q ques
ton of loss and gain this year, but rath
OF how much am 1 going to lose Every
question has two sides, every business
It's ups and downs, and every picture
it's lights and shades. Because the cur
rent year is an off year for the cattle
feeder, is no reason why we should de-
CRY the industry as>one possessed Of nc
grand and allurlng possibilities. Ad'
verse conditions are ofttimes but bless
ings in disguise that strengthen and
better fit US for the fight. No enter
prising farmer would think OF quitting,
tho planting of corn. as an Improbable
business, just because the early frost
has injured or destroyed one years crop.
Outof the ashes of q burned Chicago,
sprung the empire of western metro.
polls that has given Us the greatest live
stock market of the world. e.
In my opinion, there are two reasons
for the present unfavorable conditions
of the beef producing industry, and for
the want of a better term, I will call
one over. production, and the other, in
competency, or a lack of knowledge of
the business in which we are engaged.
The American people are . peculiar
people, energetic and ilmpulsive, and al
though we live in land of boasted In
dependence, We are too often the VIC
TINS of our own dependence, or in 9TH
er words instead of following our own
conceptions and ideas of things, we are
too often led by the opinions and ex-
perience of others. We live in an age
of wonderful inventions; we have our
automatic talking machines; writing
and printing machines, and even add
ing and self.computing machines. But
I have yet to learn of, or see an auto
matte thinking machine. We have
still got to plod on Handicapped as we
are, for few years longer by being
compelled to do our own thinking. The
year Immediately proceeding the pres
ent one was q record breaking year in
the live stock industry. Conditions
were such that almost phenomenal re.
suits were attained. and colossal for
tunes accumulated, if I may be allowed
TO use such an extravagant expression.
Allow me to cite you few instances
that came under my own observation.
know feeder who purchased his
feeders year ago last October, at g IL
per 100 pounds net cost in his own feed
yard, and sold them from the same
yard for 81 per 100 pounds after
feeding them the usual period. All Of
you have during the past year read in
the market reports or have seen beef
cattle sell in Chicago, at 20 per 100
pounds.
These phenomenal and unheard of
prices has created craze, and every
body caught the cattle feeding fever,
and have rushed pelI-mell into the
arena expecting to emulate the achiev-
ments of their lucky neighbors. Every
farmer in the country who can muster
a ring tested steer, or q COW with a
crumpled horn, is in the beef producing
business, and we are confronted today,
with one of the worst conditions that
has been witnessed in years in the cat
tie business. The markets are glutted
with poor and half feed cattle. Prices
are demoralized, and finished beefs are
selling today at 50 per 100 lower than
the high time of last year, and every
body is losing money. Then the condi-
ton of the times has something to do
with thelproblem; the conditions are not
normal, the times are actually too pros.
porous. You smile, but let me prove
to YOU, that there is more truth than
poetry in my assertion.
This Mckinley prosperity is not all
sunshine in the barnyard. National
prosperity, means national credit, and
AZ nation is but a multitude of indi-
viduals. National prosperity as q rule
means better and q larger credit for
it's individuals. A good credit is some
times abused, or overworked. There
is such thing as getting too much of q
good thing. As preacher once
Thought, who called upon poor widow
and was invited to stay to tea. The
widow had no sugar in the house. but
decided that the preachers tea must be
sweetened, so she put in a teaspoonful
of molasses and started to put in two,
when the preacher said thanks, one
would be great plenty; the widow re-:
piled that there was nothing too good
for a preacher and insisted on putting
in two spoonfuls The fact Of the case
is our credit has been too good for the
welfare of the cattle feeder, money has
been plenty and no class of credit has
been 80 sought for, or sold 80 we'll, as