Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-18
Raise Cattle.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. thS u ucihShoouS
progress that has been made along ag-
ricultural lines throughout this local
ity within the past twenty-five years,
1t Is apparent to all intelligent men,
especially those who have contributed
most to the progress that has been
wrought, that as yet there has hardly
been a beginning. and there Is still
much hesitation as to what line of
future policy holds out the greatest
promise Of success. .... .,. ...
AS far back as thirty or forty years
ago The Enquirer used to urge the
promise that the livestock industry
held out. and although 1t is not to be
claimed that a great deal Of progress
has been made along this line, still
upon comparison Of present conditions
with conditions of the past, anybody
can see the improvement. And 1t is
not too much to say that where there
was one farmer twenty-five years ago
who was disposed to look upon the
cattle industry as a possible source Of
agricultural prosperity, now there are
scores, and the problem Is not nearly
so dark and involved as 1t was in the
old times. e.
We do not want to be understood as
urging the cattle industry as a quick
and easy road to wealth, because we
do not belong among those who be-
lieve that there ever was such road
for the whole people, or that there
ever will be such road, or that there
should ever be such road. The only
sure road to true and abiding prosper
ity is by careful, intelligent and per-
sistent labor, and those who cannot
convince themselves otherwise are in a
dangerous way.
We could point out a hundred or
more farmers in different parts Of the
country who have been paying more
and more attention to the cattle indus
try during the past fifteen or twenty
years. and who are developing that in
dustry gradually; but we know Of
very few who have gone into the bus
mess in real earnest, and the progress
that is being made is rather slower
than we would like to see. 1t seems to
us that it is about time for far sighted
farmers to begin to realize that there
is great future ahead for those who
take up the cattle proposition with
the purpose Of seeing to 1t that cattle
raising Is brought up to its full and
proper place in the economy Of the
farm, and that is what we are hoping
to see.
Although we are very we'll aware of
the fact that comparatively few people
were greatly impressed with the re-
marks of Secretary Of Agriculture Will
son some weeks ago when he asserted
that the greatest profit from corn and
other feed stuffs was to be had by put
ting the same through cattle rather
than by converting them into cash.
we believe the secretary was right.
The current sentiment in this county
with reference to feeding corn to cattle
and pigs Is that 1t would be a waste.
Most people look at 1t only as matter
of feeding 81 corn to make 10 cents
pork, without taking into considera-
ton that neither cattle or pigs call
upon the owner for more than a part
Of their feed, and that in the absence
of cattle and pigs, the food convert
I'D hot
waste, is of considerably more value
than the corn, hay, etc., that Is neces-
sary to supplement such stuff in the
preparing of animals for market.
1t is a matter Of common knowledge
that the Practice of feeding steers and
other cattle through the winter mainly
for the value of the manure they pro-
duce, which practice was commenced
in this locality some ten or twelve
years ago has grown and grown. Some
people have experimental and quit;
but others have kept steadily on and
new beginners have been added until
now there are more cattle being fed
through the winter than there has ever
been. Generally the feeders Of cattle
get an advance on the fat stock over
what they paid for the poor cows to
begin with; but it Is not uncommon to
break even on that part of the expert
ment. However, as a common thing,
people who have engaged in this busi-
ness are agreed that If they get the