Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-08-12
Possibilities of Maine Beef Raising.
PROFITABLE AS A BUSINESS, NOT A SIDE
ISSUE.

The more consider the live BLOCK bit'
uation in the State of Maine, the. more
evident 1t seems that there Is opportu-
nifty, which Is going to be greater as time
progressed for the raising Of meat prod
ucts in fairly large quantities In this
great New England State.
Tho dairy business is large and an
important part of the live stock business
of the state, and it is growing all the
time. From what am able to observe
in regard to the breeding and raising OF
beef producing cattle, II seems to me
that this part of the live stock business
is increasing also. The increase 10 not
so noticeable; it is more difficult to put
ones finger upon 1t, but the increasing
interest in beef stock of pure blood IL
strong indication that farming sentiment
is moving in that direction.
Occasionally is to be found farmer
who has been in the dairy business or
who has been keeping just few OF any
old kind Of cattle, who is putting In
sumo beef animals. Some young farm
ers in different parts of the state are
starting out to raise up beef herds.
Maine breeding stock of the beef breeds
is improving all the time and gaining In
reputation and consequently 10 demand:
All these things indicate future ahead
for the business of producing beef In
Maine.
With the breaking up of the big cattle
ranges of the west and the increase OF
the email farm beef business in that sec
tion of the country, the opinion seems
to be gaining ground that really high.
class beef is best raised on the small
farm, raised up quickly and gotten to
the market in prime condition without
having ever been in anything but prime
condition from calfhood up. All this
helps us to believe that there Ia OppOr.
tunity in Maine for the business of max
ing beef.
A good many head of beef cattle are
raised and sold every year, but at the
present time good deal Of it is OF the
old fashioned kind. Old cows and bulls
which are past their usefulness are sold
off to get rid of them at whatever price
they will bring, and good many fat
oxen are sold every year. But until we
carry on the business on the plan
which brings the young beef animals up
to selling size and quality at an early
age, they have put on the maximum
amount of flesh possible at the minimum
cost, the business will not be on the
right footing.
1t is a well-known fact that the older
the animal aud the greater the weight,
the greater is the cost of adding weight.
There is, therefore, good deal OF
doubt whether the big fat mature OK,
which weighs as much as 1t Is possible
to make the animal weigh represents as
much real profit as much younger AMI
NAL which weighs considerably less but
put on that weight at great deal less
cost. The older animals will not bring
the highest prices, and the final finish
ing weight very likely costs as much az
it will bring over the younger and
smaller animals.
1t is not vet determined that baby
beef is the most profitable beef to put
on the market, but the tendency is In
that direction, and beef is going on the
market at a lower average age every year.
At the present time the mOst profit
able, and perhaps the most important
part OF the beef cattle raising business
in the State of Maine, is the breeding
and raising of pure-bred animals for
breeding purposes rather than for beef
These are sold to those who wish to
raise up high grade of beef animals,
either grade or pure-bred, and this
stock Is finding a ready sale.
In spite of the pessimistic talk OF
good many people who seem to expect
that the cattle breeding and raising busi-
ness of the country will be very seri-
ously injured il the tariff is taken off
live stock and live stock products, the
men who are making success OF their
business now are really not expecting to
90 out of business in the event of any
unfavorable legislation. They are not
depending entirely upon the tariff to
make profit for them In the p'oi iuc-
ton of those things which We get of the
farm for the sustenauce Of life.
Maine has some advantages In this
direction, and there are some disadvan.
tages in farming in Maine which may be
converted into good reasons for beef
raising instead of any other kind of
farming. There are some sections OF
the state which are good farming Sec
tious but for the fact that they are long
distances away from the railroads. In
some of these sections good many
farmers at the present time are depend
| ing upon few cattle for their impor.
tant market crop. On productive farm
located several miles from the railroad,
the raising Of feed, which in turn as.
sists in raising up beef which may be
sent to market on the hpof,- would seem
| to be a most advantageous way OF mar
| keting products. Why may not an aver
age farmer carry on business OF this
kind to an extent that will count up
large at the end Of the year
Instead of one or two or three pairs at
oxen year, sold at the age of three or
four years, why should not such farm
er have fifteen or twenty head of prime
beef for the market every year, weigh.
ing 1000 pounds or more, that weight
put ON when the animal Is young and at
the lowest possible cost +? There are a
good many farms in Maine where this
kind of farming business could be made
more profitable than any other.-Maine
| Farmer,