The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-01-29

Southern farmers to give more atten-
ton to growing beef cattle. We have
done so because we believ i eney could
make money by doing so. And at the
same time they could improve their
farms. We have frequently called at
tention to the high prices that good
beef was bringing. We still do so, but
we are glad to find that the prices have
declined. We say we are glad, because
the price has gone so high that it was
injuring instead of helping the bust
ness. Beef was so high that many
We're unable to buy it, hence the con-
sumption was being seriously cut
down.
People quit eating beef, not from
choice, but from necessity. They were
simply not able to pay for it. This
sudden falling off in consumption on
one side and the increase in supply
stimulated by the high prices on the
other side have materially affected the
cattle market.
AS our beef bills had not shown any
fall in price we were a little slow in
catching on to the decline in prices Of
beef cattle.
We have numerous complaints of
difficulty in getting fair prices for beef
cattle. We still insist that good beef
can be sold at good prices. This is
true, but it may often happen that
there is no market in your immediate
neighborhood. If we get to raising
more good cattle so as to be able to get
up carload lots it will help to get high
" prices and ready sale. The packing
houses in Atlanta and other Southern
cities are always ready to buy all good
beeves at full prices.
One trouble is that we have not
learned the difference between good
beef and poor beef A COW may be fat
end not be a desirable beef for the
butcher or packer.
Our scrubs are too much bone and
waste and too little meat in proper
ton.
One correspondent says it is better
to sell these scrubs weighing $500
pounds than to sell one or two Short
Horns weighing the same, because the
scrubs cost nothing to raise and the
Short Horns cost $50 to raise.
We have never learned how to raise
these scrubs, or any other kind of cat
tie for nothing. They cost fully as
much if not more than the better
breeds. They eat as much day by day,
and generally require many more days
to get in salable condition. And when
you get ready to sell they will not
bring as high a price because they are
not as good beef.
Scrubs have so much waste that they
usually sell for about two to two and
a half cents per pound gross. Better
beef breeds will bring about twice as
much.
A breed that has been selected for its
beef producing qualities for genera
tons past will grow so much faster
and fatten so much easier that it
really costs less to grow them than it
does to grow scrubs It is a mistaken
idea that they require more and bet
ter food.
1t is true that they will show higher
appreciation for good feeding and
grow faster when well fed, but that
only makes them cost less to reach any
given weight.
Herefords, Short horned, Red-polled
and others will hold their own with
any other cattle that are given a living
chance.
Dad n
breed on short rations and exposure.
The better they are cared for and the
more literally they are fed the less
will be the cost with any breed. The
first six months are the most important
part of any beef's life. They should
be pushed while calves if we wish to
get the best results.
Another says the calf has had one
half the milk for six months or more.
Calves should be separated from the
mother at three days.
First of all we need more and better
pastures. Pasture does not mean acres
to walk over, but grass to eat. Very
many of our pastures-so called-are a
disgrace to the farm and q reflection
upon the intelligence of the owner.
These are not a necessity. We have
plenty of land and a number of the
best pasture grasses ready to grow
upon the land. But if we expect good
grass we must prepare the land and
give the grass chance. Then we
must supplement the pasture with an
abundant supply of forage. This is
easily done A few acres we'll managed
will enable every farmer to carry from
fifteen to twenty head of cattle. When
this is done a carload can be gotten
m in ony com na1Initv and hrynrs will