Milford chronicle., 1913-08-29
ADVISED AGAINST SELLING COWS

have gone to the shambles whicl
should have been retained on the farms
for breeding purposes. This is especially
noticeable when the receipts of southern
cattle at the st. Louis market for tn,
last twelve months are compared witt
those for any previous period of similar
length. The receipts of Alabama, Missis
sippi, and Louisiana cattle at that
market have almost doubled during this
1 period.
Since the first of Februsry 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 Western ranchman as
breeding stock, but with the shortage
of cows for breeding purposes the
ranchers are glad to get those cheap
cows to which they will breed good
beef bulls. The halfbreeds resulting
from this mating make fairly desirable
beef animals.
Several thousand cattle have already
been sent from these States to Texas.
Oklahoma. and Kansas. and some OF
them are said to have beea shipped as
far as Montana.
Recently there We're perhaps more
cattle unlOaded at one time in Birming-
ham, for feed, water. and rest while
enroute to the western ranges than have
ever been seen in that place before in
one day. Georgia and Florida are send
ing out thousands of these native
southern cattle at the present time at
prices ranging from Sl5 TO S23 "a head
for mature animals. A shipment Of
40 carloads of cattle was recently made
from Oscela County, Florida, in one
day. They were shipped to Kansas via
Oklahoma City. The cattle were dipped
in arsenical solution before loading, to
free them of ticks, and were to be
dipped again on arrival at Oklahoma
City before going above the Federal
quarantine line.
Some people of the South seem glad
that these are being shipped out, as
the number of scrub cattle is being re
duced and the South will get better
cattle as a 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 scurb cattle
for breeding purposes, the chances of
southern farmers refilllng their pastures
with good cattle are indeed small, for
where are these good breeding cattle
to come from at a reasonable prices?
The best and most profitable way of
getting throughout the South is to breed
up the native cattle by the use Of pure
bred bulls. gnd by castrating all scrub
bulls at an early age.
The South is especially adapted to
raising cattle. because of the long graz
ing season, the enormous areas Of cheap
land much of which is now lying idle,
the great variety of pasture grasses and
legumen which grow luXuriantly on all
soils, and because Of the mild winters.
If the western ranchman can afford
to pay southern farmers good prices for
COWS, pay the high freight rates to the
West, stand the losses which naturally
occur during shipping thin cattle such
long distances, also bear the losses due
to a change of climatic conditions, and
then make money on them, why can not /
the southern farmer who already owns
the cattle as we'll as the grazing lands, |
and who needs the manure upon the /
soils. keep this stock on the farm and /
secure the increased profits? He can if |
he will free his cattle of ticks, increase |
The efficiency of his pastures by planting
mixtures of lespedeza, bur clover, white
clover or perhaps melilOtus, alsike clover
and redtOp over his pasture lands; and
~ raising more hays and forage crops
or wintering his stock and finishing
hem for market. The surplus cattle 4
AN then be fattened by feeding cotton
iced cake on grass. or grazing fields of
'elvet beans while feeding some con-
or they can be finished in the
Try lot during the winter months. For
winter feeding no roughage has proven
more valuable than silage, as the addi-
ion of it to a feeding ration invariably
the size Of the daily gains and
educes their cost, thereby making
reater profits The quality and the
uantity of silage which can be produced
n some of these cheap lands can not be
by the high-priced lands of
he corn belt, whereas the cost of pro-
ucing it is far less because of the cheap
lbor
The farmers of the South are there
Dre urged to discontinue this wholesale
lipping of their female cattle to other
tates, to free the pastures of the cat
e tick, and to increase the number and
lality of their cattle by the use of
urebred beef bulls The progeny will
OF only grow faster and make larger
nd better cattle, but will be far more
to raise and to feed than are
le natives. The soils will be increased
fertility by the manure. which gives
ich profitable returns when applied to
le cotton crop and puts vegetable mat
II into the soil. The amount of com
ercial fertilizer necessary to produce
crop will be reduced and a more boun-
ful yield be produced.
Literature regarding methods of feed
2 cattle in the South and erdicating
e cattle ticks may be obtained from
e Bnreau of Animal Industry. Depart.