The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-12-12
RAISE CATTLE AS
TO RELIEVE
Government Experts Declare
Small Farmer Can Solve
Problem.

TULLY realizing the meat scarcity
X with which the United States IL
u confronted. experts Of the de
partment Of agriculture are put
ting their heads together In an effort t.
get at the root of the trouble and sug
gest the remedy. While they know
that the law of supply and demand bas
something to do with the present
scarcity, another factor Is directl.
blamed for the shortage in the meal
production. This time 1t is put OH tn.
packing houses. for the institution OF
these meat centers caused the small
butchers around many cities to give up
slaughtering and to buy from the cen
trail depots.
The only way to settle the meat Ques
ton. say these experts. is to look t.
the small farmers. They must be en-
couraged to use their waste lands
lands that cannot be used profitably
for the raising of crops-to again
raise cattle To encourage them there
must be a market provided where they
can sell their stock with profit. for no
one can expect them to go to tht
trouble Of producing the beef cattl,
unless they are certain of ready mar
ker, and this feature Is lacking as n
result Of the growth of range breeding
In the west and the consequent estab
lee Af bot
central markets will now take cattle
only in large lots. and this brings
about the question of cooperation
among the farmers in community
They can grow cattle In small lots
and then by combining the small
units can ship in carloads to the cen
trail markets. suggest the experts Of
the department.
Imports Not Dependable.
While some meat is beginning to
come in from foreign countries TO help
us out in the meat supply. it is said
further. the people Of the United States
should not depend on these imports
for there are other countries which are
bidding for the supply and can use just
as much as the United States.
Getting down to the packing hous.
question. a bulletin just issued by the
department says that before the days
Of the packing house each locality pro
duced its own meat The packinr
house with artificial refrigeration made
~ do tn Oh
long distances. Live stock produce
on the range and finished on cheap
corn supplied the packers with cheap
meat. with which they soon captured
the markets Of the country. The loca
butchers stopped butchering and began
to handle the packers meats. This
the local markets for live
animals. and as result the produc
ton Of beef In the older farming sec
lions was practically discontinued. and
the production Of other meat animals
was greatly reduced
Change In Situation.
However. the department experts
know that In recent years the high
price Of corn and the reduction in the
area Of the range has wrought a great
change In the live stock situation. Al
present the meat supply Is decreasing
and the consumption IL increasing
This situation has forced upon US u
problem which cannot be met In bnt
one way. they say, and that Is more
live stock must be produced upon
farms. Two things, they continue. are
necessary to induce the farmer to pro
duce live stOck-flrst. he must have II
ready market for his animals, whethe"
few or many. and. second. he must be
able to realize profit on their produc-
ton.
When the farms become the main
source OF our meat supply. as seems
Inevitable. II Ia said much ecOnUm,
will be gained where each communit;
produces its own meat supply. Under
such circuplsta noes local slaughterine
large to be done economically seems
tn the greatest ecOnomy
This would tend to steady the marker
~ well AZ 10 increase the economy ~
production. Strengthening and market
Ing. At present. however. the lmpor
tant consideration IL good market for
animals In small numbers.
1t Is useless To expect the farmers
to become interested In live stock pro
duction until there Is a ready market
At present the most fundamental fac
tor in profitable meat production is the
cost Of pasturage and feed. The ranges
Of the west are falling of in meat pro
duction because their areas are de
creasing.
Solution With Small Farmer.
The farming sections have more su.'
plus feed than the ranges. but they
have not the pastures. If this falling
or in the range pasturage were re
placed by pasturagc of better quality
on the farms and IL suitable markets
for the farms were created it is rea
sonable to conclude. it is declared. that
the normal production Of live stock
would be restored. That will depend
very largely upon the cost OF the farm
pastures. continue the experts.
While admitting that the solution OF
the meat problem lies with the small
farmer. the department experts de