The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-12
STUBS, HE KNOWS.
SConllnued from Page one.)

ADMIT that it is a case of ca,,ea 49,
tnect. Yet 1t is undoubtedly true that
..,e iiiedt eaters of the world are the
people who have done most for its civil
lzation and advancement.
Inc annual per capita consunntio,,
ol meat IN the United States is 1875. 8
POUNDS as against 121 pounds in Great
a,tst' 1Io-S4 pound in the German
ei ,n,l ana IS pounds in France.
Inat the number of cattle in tha
United States has decreased very f]a
cldedly IN recent years is generally adj
iniIteu. Inls has resulted in part by
the curtailment of the range cattle in
uustry py the encroachment of settlers
Mantlilg MONIES, and by the enforce
llleit OF the law against fencing gov
erHinent lana. In consequence the pro-
portion OF beef per capita is becoming
less each year
IN 1905 the total exports of beef and
pork products combined reached the
stupendous aggregate of 2,19S, 100000
POUNDS while in 1909 it had fallen to
,4fZoO0.00O pounds, a loss of SO per cent
in three years.
1t is not probable that there will be
any gam IN the number of our cattle
until the homesteaders who really
forced the herds from big ranches get
adjusted to their new homes and be-
gin raising cattle.
view the situation from whatever
angie you VIII, it is apparent that there
supply of the United States with no
immediate prospect of an increase.
Last year the retail price of meats
IN the cities rose to prices entirely be-
yend the poor and almost prohibitive
to Well-tc-do people In consequence
such an cutlery arose as has never he
Iore been heard in our country The
beef trust, the farmers trust, the tar
III, the production of gold and various
otner reasons We're assigned to account
for these high prices.
THE real reasons for these prices of
meats We're strangely overlooked by
most investigators. viz: the short sup
ply OF fat animals which was the re-
suit or high price grain and the dis
couraging prices received by feeders for
stock marketed the winter following the
panic OF November and December 1907.
There is in my opinion a bright and
prosperous future for farmers and
stockmen in Kansas who are growing
and FEEDING a good class of beef cat
tle."
A State of Ponds.
IL there was pond or lake Of the
average size of an acre on each square
mile or section of land in the state OF
Kansas said L. L. Dyche, state fish
and game warden, today, ''it would
amount to 82,144 acres of water. II
there was pond OF a lake of the aver
age size of an acre on each quarter
section it would amount to 32S. 576 acres
of water. If there was, on the average,
an acre pond Oh each forty acre tract
OF land in the state it would in the
aggregate amount to 1914, 302 acres of
water or an average of four acres of
water for each quarter section of land
enough water to cover 1000 sections.
or over 5000 quarter sections of land
In surface area this water if combined
In one body, would be equal to a lake
400 miles long and over fifty miles
1arNfIr e 49,. L.
reach across the state from east to
west, a body of water with a surface
area five times as large as that of the
Dead sea and as large as Great SAT-
lake.
by figuring the volume of water
that one acre would conserve at an
average depth of three feet which
would amount to 1870 $50 cubic feet, it is
easy to estimate the quantity of water,
157, 270, 100000 cubic feet. or nearly one
twentieth of the rainfall of the entire
state for one year, that it would be
possible to hold in the state if ponds Of
the average size of one acre could be
conserved on each forty acre tract ef
land. This amount of water would just
about equal a rainfall of one inch over
the entire state.
Advantages of Farm Pond.
tThese small lakes and ponds would
be of value in a number of ways to the
d
only an agriculturiSt but frequently an
horticulturist and stock raiser we'll.
Groves of both forest and fruit bearing
trees might be planted around them.
These would serve various purposes.
and while servin~- as wind breaks and
furnishing shade. would grow into trees
that would produce wood, posts, and
even lumber. Groves around bodies of
water always attract flocks of song
and insect eating birds.
again, these ponds could be made
to supply the stock of the farm with
water; and in many places where the
water supply was sufficient could be
used to irrigate gardens. berry patches
and orchards. If the pond or lake
were an acre or more in size. there
might be an ice house near the shore
where a supply of ice sufficient to last
through the summer could be put up
at small expense. A boat could pc
kept on the water, and a small build
ing might be constructed in grove
near the shore. where the boat and
such articles as fishing tackle, bath
ing suits, skates, ETC., could De housed.
Fish as a Food Product.
why should we be concerned about
water conservation and food products?
Because the present high prices that
all the staple kinds of meat products
command make it necessary Tor the
great mass of the people to look not
more economic methods of producing
it than have heretofore been devised.
Even now men who are working Tor
a wage of from $1-35 to $500 per day
and who have families to support, can
scarce afford to eat beef, pork or NUT
ton even once a day.
The possibility and value of fish as
a good and wholesome food product
for the people of Kansas should re-
ceive more serious consideration than
has heretofore been given to 1t. II
each family in the state could have
fish on an average of once a week it
would not only be a most pleasing and
satisfactory change in the regular Dill
of fare, but it would be an item OF
large economic Importance. AS there
are over 100000 families in the state.
it would mean that over 10000
messes of fish would be consumed
each week. The value of the fish thus
consumed, allowing an average of 20
cents. or about one-hah of its value,
for the mess of fish consumed by each
family each week would amount to