Barton County democrat., 1911-07-21
Hope For Cheap Meat eld Out
By Canada.

@AVfS 3VA -SASoP 1nO0O SAA W."
By Canada.
Hope for cheaper meats in the
United States is held out by the
rapid growth Of the alfalfa. fed |
beef cattle and sheep industry in
the western provinces of Canada,
attention to which has just been |
called by the arrival in that see
ton of the advance guard of an
invading army of Australian
sheep growers. F. W. Fairbain,
an Australian wool king with |
headquarters in London, recent
ly' purchased four thousand acres
IN Alberta for sheep raising pur-
poses. Mr.. Fairbain is the larg-
es' grower of wool in the world
and his determination to have his
son engage in the sheep industry
in Western Canada is taken as
an indication that his future Oper.
atiOnS on large scale will be ON
this continent.
A study of the business at the
Chicago StOckyards and at the
other packing .centers in this
country and the reports of the
federal government indicate that
unless the livestock of this cOm-
TRY is largely increased, or there
i. some relief from our neighbOrs
the prices of meats will continue
to remain high and may 60
higher. -.
There are four million fewer
cattle in the United States than
there were four years ago, while
there are approximately seven mil
lion more people to feed. The
cattle number 47,279,000 accord
ing to the government figures. In
1907 the number was 81 ,565, 900.
The number of cattle decreased in
the United States in the last
wear "A percent. There was a
slight increase In the number Of
sheep, although there are $780,
600 fewer than there were in
1903. The following table of per-
centage increase in the last year
in the United States and the
provinces of Manitoba, Saskatche-
wan and Alberta show how west
ern Canada is rapidly preparing
70 meet the meat deficit in the
+ United States.
Sheep.
Increase in the United States
inn the year, 2 percnt.
Increase in Canadian provinces
"A percent.
Cattle.
Increase in Canadian provinces
IN year, 2.7 percent.
Decrease in the United States,
IL percent.
! KT6a&s our northern neighbOrs
ale increasing their supply OF
AaesH IiiOEre Aian tfic2EEs fSpsIll
ly-as-we sre5 and they are main'
tanning a substantial increase in
the cattle supply while we are m-
able to make any gain.
Alfalfa that has been acclima-
tized and that has been found by
experiments to be as good as any
fattening food for cattle, sheep
CT hogs, is responsible for most
CT the rapid growth.
The alfalfa whichh has been
found to be the best producer for
this part of the country was i'm
ported from Germany by settler
In nOrrthen Minnesota nearly six
ty years ago. His name was Wen
delin Grimm. and the alfalfa has
been given his name. The plant
mas become thoroughly American
lied and series of exhaustive
!teSts both in Canada and the
! United States have proved it Oble
to take care of itself and furnish
bumper crops even under adverse
conditions. Experiment conduct
ed between 1904 and 1909 at the
Indian Head experiment station
in Saskatchewan proved Grimm
capable OF averaging three anC
a half tons of hay TO the acre
withstanding a temperature Of
more than forty degrees below
zero, and only nineteen inches Of
rainfall during the growing sea
son.
Mr.. Angus Mckay, Superinten
dent in charge of the expert
mentS, reported:
"FrOm the first the Grimm al