The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-26
OPPORTUNITY
IN CATTLE RAISING
Reasons Are Presented Why South Should Enter
This Industry Far More Extensively Than
1t Is Doing Now.

Especial to The Times Dispatch.]
Washington, d. G., February 20
That the South possesses untold OPP
portnnities for money making In cat
tie raising and beef production Is the
opinion Of Daniel T. Gray and w. l..
Ward. OF the Department of AEricuI
ture. Recent Investigations made by
them. while mainly in Alabama. afford
much valuable Information for al
parts Of the South. Concerning this
Important matter. they say to-day:
Al the present time the South pro-
duces but small proportion OF the
meat that her people consume In
Alabama there are but SOS, 900 head OF
cattle other than milk animals. or In
other words. there are but LIZ head
OF cattle in the state to each family
lf no outside meats were shipped into
the State, this supply would be quite
Inadequate for the needs of the people
There Is. therefore. wide field for
the Southern farmer who wishes to
produce beef.
There are many reasons why the
Southern States should raise more
beef cattle than are being raised a,
the present time. First, the South
under the present system OF farming
has thousands of acres Of land. and
good land. too, which are not being
used at all. Statistics tell us that only
about 40 per cent of the tilIable OF
arabic land Of the South is being used
Sixty per cent. of the land is lying
idle and returns to the owner not a
cent in wealth. All OF the lands can.
not be used as cotton lands, because
FIRST. there are not enough people to
work the lands In any such way, and
second. many Of these pauper acres arc
not suitable for cultivation. In fact.
many acres that are now under cotton
cultivation should be turned into per.
manent pastures and graZed with live
stock. No State can become wealthy
when only 40 per cent. OF the land
capital is being used The grocer. OF
the banker. or the hardware merchant
could not possibly make a profit on
his business II he used only 40 per
cent. of his capital. and the farmer
cannot hope to be successful in his
operations until he begins to make use
OF at least a. reasonable proportion OF
his capital.
a third reason why beef should be
more generally produced in the South
is that there is demand for it, and
the demand should be met in order
that the money be kept a home. 1t
has been stated In & previous publ
cation that during the year of 1907
there were about 1871 home raised
animals slaughtered in the city Of
BlTH luS nam ttnlS inCluOeQ cattle, veal
hogs. sheep and kids). while there
were 36.os7 1.-Two Western animals
brought into the city and slaughtered
In addition to this. thousands or
pounds Of cured meats were also re-
tailed over the city. This money
should all be kept at home and added
to the Southern wealth. Packing
houses arc now being built throughout
the South, and good markets are as
farmer produces.
The fourth reason offered in favor
Of beef production is the opportunity
that 1t offers for the profitable utir-
cation OF .roughage" AS the farmers
learn the value of diversifcation in
farming operations, there will be in
creased amount of roughage, such as
corn fodder. cowpea. and clover hays
and SOY beans, which many times can
be marketed more probably through
the beef animals than in any other
ant machines for converting the sur
plus folders into valuable barnyard
manure. which gives to the growing
crops not only the benefits OF its fer
tilizing elements, but enhances the ma
:ural condition Of the soil by the ad
dition Of that important compound.
humus. No animal can take the place
OF the beef steer in making use of the
winter corn and cotton fields.
Finally II may be said that beef cat
tie are peculiarly suited ito ft into