The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-07-02
st. Matthews, May "a.
Southern Farmers Advised Against
Selling OF Their Cows.

Selling OF Their Cows.
During the past twelve months cat
lana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia,
and Florida, purchasing cattle to be
shipped to the Middle Western mar
kets as either Gamers or stOckers.
The prices paid for Gamers during
this period have been SO high that
thousands of cows and heifers have
gone to the shambles which should
have been retained on the farms for
breeding purposes This is especially
noticeable when the receipts of south
ern cattle at the st. Louis market for
the last twelve months are compar-
ed with those for any previous per
fod of similar length. The receipts of
Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana
cattle at that market have almost
doubled during this period.
Since the first of February buyers
from the farms and ranches of the
West have been securing. the Gulf
States in search Of breeding stock.
A few years ago this class of cattle
would have been scorned by the Wes-
tern ranchman as breeding stock. but
with the shortage of cows for breed
ing purposes the ranchers are glad to
get these cheap cows, to which they
Will breed good beef bulls. The half
breeds resulting from this mating
make fairly desirable beef animals.
Several thousand cattle have al
ready been sent from these States to
Texas, oklahoma, and Kansas, and
some of them are said to have been
shipped as far as Montana.
Recently there We're perhaps more
cattle unloaded at one time in Bir-
mingham, Ala, for feed, water, and
rest while enroute to the western
ranges than have ever been seen in
that place before in one day. Geor-
gia and Florida are sending out thous-
ands of these native southern cattle
at the present time at prices rang
ing from SIS to $23 head for mature
animals. A shipment of 40 carloads
OF cattle was recently made from
Osceola County, Florida, in one day.
They were shipped to Kansas via
Oklahoma City. The cattle were dip
ped in arsenical solution before load
ing. to free them of ticks, and were
to be dipped again on arrival at Okla
homa City before going above the
Federal quarantine line.
Some people Of the South seem glad
that these cattle are being shipped
out, az the number of scrub cattle is
being reduced and the South will get
better cattle as result. They do
not look FAR enough ahead, however.
or they would see that if the shortage
of cattle is such as to cause buyers to
come from the far West to buy these
scrub cattle for breeding PURPOSES
the chances of southern farmers re-
iilling their pastures with good cattle
are indeed small, for where are these
good breeding cattle to come from at
reasonable price? The best and
most profitable way of getting good
cattle throughout the South ia to
breed up the native cattle bv the use
of purcbrcd bulls, and by castrating
all scrub bulls at an early age.
The South is especially adapt.d tn
raising cattle, because of the LONG
grazing season. the enormous areas
of cheap land much of which is now
lying idle, the great variety of pasturo
grasses and lcgumcS which grow lux
uriantly ON all soils, and because or
the mild winters.
If the western ranchman can afford
{" pay southern farmers good price,
for cows, pay the high freight rates To-
tn" West. stand tn" losses which nat
urally occur during shipping thin cat
tie such long distances, also bear thc