The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1910-08-26
PRACTICAL ADVICE ABOUT
DIVERSIFIED FARMING


| great. however, tnere is an adVan-
, tage in having them located as closely
together as possible, and that is, 1t
will simplify marketing. Where 1870
cows are being bred to Shorthorn
question of short time before that
community gets the reputation of pro-
ducing a good quality of Shorthorn
cattle. The reputation spreads and
other breeders from distance will
soon come to this point for securing
animals for breeding purposes, and
the butcher buyers, in periods Of high
prices, will 60 out into the country
districts to make their purchases. In
order to cheaper the cost of market
ing, cattle should be shipped in car
load lots. If the car load consists of
animals uniform in age, size, finish,
color, conformation and breed type,
| they will present a much more at
tractive appearance in the stock yards
and consequently they will sell at
| higher price. If all of the associa
ton, therefore, are located within a
radius of ten miles, these benefits
will be realized by the breeders; how
ever, this is not essential.
The descendants from the first
cross will be half-bred Herefords, the
descendants from the second cross
will be three-fourths, and the de-
scendants from the third cross will be
seven-eighths. The seven-eighths
Herefords, for all practical purposes,
will be approximately as profitable
meat producers as pure breds. On
the other hand, if it is desired to con-
tinue this cooperative ownership of
sires, though it Is not probable that
these original groups will continue
for long time, there is no objection
to purchasing three additional bulls
of the same breed at the end of six
years. If this were done, at the end
of twelve years for the cost of two
sires In each community the individ-
ual farmer would have his herd grad
ed up to the place where they would
be three-sixty-fourths pure. The
probabilities are that after pure-bred
sires have been used in a community
for six years the practical demonstra-
ton of the advantages to be derived
from the use of good blood will have
been so clearly shown, and the indus
try will have developed to such de-
gree that instead of one entire COM
munity buying single sire, there
will be many individual farmers who
will buy one or more bulls for their
exclusive use.
A satisfactory sire will probably
cost $3.50, but this is insignificant in
comparison with the returns he will
make. AS with all other articles of
commerce and trade, cattle sell on
their merit, and the butcher is always
willing to pay appreciably more for
good beef animals than for unim-
proved Scrubs" This is particularly
true, because the well-bred animals
give a higher dressing percentage.
The native" steer will probably not
dress out more than fifty per cent.
edible meat to the live weight, where
as a high-grade, well-finished beef
steer will easily dress sixty-two per
cent. On this basis a 1000-pound
scrub would give a carcass weighing
500 pounds, whereas the carcass of
the well-bred steer would weigh $40 |
pounds. Even if there was no differ
ence in the quality of meat, but both
carcasses were sold wholesale at ten |
cents per pound, the former would |
bring $50, while the latter would |
bring $62. On this basis the butcher
could and would pay $500 per hun
dredweight, live weight, for the infer
Tor good steer. IT, on this basis Of
steers from registered sires selling at |
S. per hundredweight, it would not
be unfair to assume that the unim-
proved steer would sell at "a per hun
dredweight There is an additional
reason why the butcher should pay an
advance for the well-bred animals,
and that is because 1t will produce
more palatable quality of meat for
the consumer, and the consumer Is.
willing to pay at higher
price for it.
For the sake Of comparison, sup
pose that the bull is mated with forty
COWS each year for six years and that
he sires thirty cal:es, or seventy-five
per cent; in the six years he would
have begotten $50 calves. If they
we're on the market as two-year-olds
at an average weight of 100 pounds
and gold at IS per hundredweight,
tha1 would bring $50 per head, or
$50 head would bring total of
5000. A 11OO-pound scrab steer at
Sd per husdredweight would bring
S44. One hundred and eighty steers
yoald bring s. go, or difference Of
$3.50 in favor Of the good sire. This