The farmer and mechanic., 1913-11-04

change it any more than the buyers
can. The farmer can only do so nucn
with the facilities at his commanu'
and until machinery is perfected 1a1-
ther, his products viii continue 70
Snppose the farmers take to rais-
ing more beef. That will turn some
of them from cotton, tobacco, ana
eimilar crops Unless the farmer VINO
continues to raise cotton can increase
his production to meet the IalhhS oi.
by those who turn to beef cotton Wiii
go up If more meat is raised on the
farm it will be at the expense OF the
corn and other crops now used Tor
food.
More Production Prime Need.
1t is an absolute necessity that the
farms shall begin to rapidly increase
their product or somebody is going
to be hungry twenty years from now
In the last twenty years population in
creased a half, and the supply of cat
tie stood still. If population increases
fifty per cent in the next twenty years
it will mean an addition Of forty-five
million people to the number now to
be fed. 1t will mean that instead OF
every individual having a pound OF
meat a day like twenty years ago,
only one in four will have that much,
provided all the cattle were killed in
a single year.
From a herd Of thirty-five million
beel cattle we must now feed half
more people than we fed twenty-three
years ago, and try to increase that
herd to care for more people instead
OF allowing the heardat
Of allowing the herd to go backward
as is the case now.
If the prices go up sufficiently,
North Carolina farmers will raise cat
tie and make beef. But prices must
go materially higher, for it costs more
to market North Carolina beef under
present conditions than to market
western beef The western packer
has an organization that enables him
to take steers from the stock yard
put them on the market, utilize all the
| waste products, and care for his trade
in a way that the local butcher cannot.
If cattle are raised extensively in
North Carolina they will either be
sold at a high price, or packing
houses will have to be built at var
| ious centers where the economies can
| be practised and all products saved
When General Carr and George
Vanderbilt, and John Young and M. l..
! Shuford, and A. L. French, and the
rest Of that pioneer corps began their
work with cattle in this State, they had
|
| lead. It is apparent now that they
| have laid the foundation for an in
| dustry that will revolutionize agri-
| culture, for their herds are bound to
exert an influence that cannot yet be
| predicted They are bound to put a
| different phase on all farming in the
| State They have demonstrated the
possibilities, and scattered good breed
| ing animals all over North Carolina
! thereby establishing a new standard
for cattle, and giving to farmers new
ideas Of what cattle raising means.
The necessity for beef and dairy
products will make the price, for with
the necessities Of life, man cannot
say what he will pay for the things
he requires. He must pay enough to
| induce somebody to make those
things.
Farmers See the Handwriting.
The man who travels over the State
, now notices the efforts made by farm.
erS to get stock to form the basis Oj
herds that they desire to build uD te
meet the future requirements He
, also notices that the quest for cattle
: Tor this purpose does not meet with
; speedy responses. He realizes tina
the endeayor to establish herds @
cattle has gone past the supply O.
cattle available for the purpose
, There is only one inference, and tha
is that the farmers have seen tn,
handwriting and are trying to b,
:, ready for the cali for meat and but
; ter when the price gets where it will
= satisfy them to supply the wants O
? the people.
= | have said nothing about the cat
= = tie tick in connection with this move
= = ment to convert North Carolina into
cattle State. for the tick is rapidly be
: ing crowded off Of the map, and in
:. few years it will be forgotten. The
IL the sparseiy settled counties wan
:. to Craze the big ranges thev can n
- - it without the disastrous effects wh;c
the tick causes now. Counties wher
;Se the tick has been banished realize tn
- advantage of getting rid OF it. an
= those who are yet to be rid of tick
a VIII probably follow as fast as tn
= State can get to them, so the tic
is no longer very significant in thi
10 State. -
- The point is that North Carolin