Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-01-07
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Views of Successful Feeder.


David Rankin. of Tarlsio, Mo, Is
probably the most extensive and sue
cessful corn grower in the world ane
one of the most extensive cattle feed
ers as well. Here are some of his ideas
on cattle feeding:
The various changes that have
taken place during my experience i,
corn growing and stock feeding woulC
take hours to tell; hence, 1 will only
/! touch on some of the important feat
ures of this great industry as 1 recall
the events of my experience.
I'm the first place, along in 1S47
drove what fat stock ! had to Chica-
g. There We're no railroads. | was
about 200 miles from Chicago-not a
railroad in Chicago at that time. In
those days we bought cattle and had
to have the cash with us to pay for
them right on the spot. OF something
to trade, as great many transactions
were barter, and swap and trade. You
will remember our banking system at
that time las very poor means for
handling the funds OF the country
Feeders We're bought around thru
the country. little regard being paid to
tile aye dlIu GOloT, ana We SOlu pHIy
as we got chance. there being no
regular market. AT times / bought
three year-old steers for SIS and $40
apiece that would weigh about 1000
pounds. | followed this business in H.
lnois for thirty-nine years. and after
the railroads got to running trains to
Biggsville. where ] lived. several times
the Burlington roaG hauled my stock
cars along in their passenger trains
because they did not have enought bus
mess to afford to run a freight train
from their western terminus. Burling
ton. shipped the first cattle the Bur
lington railroad ever hauled out OF
Henderson county, Illinois.
u bought stock and fed them as well
as the ones raised. all the while rails
Ing corn. and each year more of It,,
Along the last of the seventies / be-
gan buying land in northwestern Mis-
souri and southwestern iowa, ana az
forwards began selling off my holdings
in Illinois.
Il brought quite bunch of money
witt, me to the west as had accumu-
lated about 100000, beside my land.
when began buying land in Missouri
j have been buying land ever since.
My corn growing and stock feeding
have grown to much larger proportions
than when In Illinois, My business now
Is handled In an entirely different
way We go to the stock markets and
buy our feeders-have been buying
some while In Omaha this trip. and
was in Kansas city & day or two be-
fore came here Feeders are an Inn
portant factor in the stock market, es-
pecialjy in the fall Of the year. These
we buy In large quantities and winter
them on part feed, letting them run
in our stalk fields, utilizing the rough
ness. Then in the spring we put them
on full feed about March /, and 1t
lakes until June to September to fat
ten them.
1T has always been my plan to feed
what corn raise and most every year
BUY about all the corn can get. grown
on the land adjoining my farms.
There is no question but what corn
growing and stock feeding Is the great
sst enterprise we have in this country
ind in this middle west where corn
IAN be grown land is sure OF COM
handing the highest price of any place
n the United States.
"My corn growing operations have |
equally IL not in excess OF |
eeding, until 1t is now possible for me !
o grow corn cheaper per bushel than