Las Vegas optic., 1914-09-10

Years ago the government encour
aeed them to stock their farms with
Jerseys. Attorneys. Guernsseys and
Holsteins, all good for dairying, but
not of much use to the butcher.
Because there are so many milch
cows of the small butter-producing
brands, and so few of the big cattle
that once came from the western ran
ges. is one reason why a good steak
is now anywhere from 2S to As cents
per pound, depending upon the point
wher cit is bought.
The packers, who boast that they
have utilized everything about the hog
except it's squeal, not for a minute
overlook the fact that the flesh of an
old mich COW requires more steam for
its cooking than that of a young ami
NAL. They make the price according
ly.
The bureau of animal industry men
would deem themselves great bene-
factors of mankind if they could in
duce 100000 farmers to go into the
business of producing two or three
beef animals every year instead of go
ing in only for milk to be sold to
dairies. The enormous development of
the dairy business, which the packers
are also annexing because they con-
trcl the refrigerator cars, has hurt
full effect in that it sends practically
every bull calf to the local slaughter
house as soon as it is old enough to
pass inspection.
A certain percentage of the calves
thus condemned to slaughter find their
way to the packing houses, but owing
to the fact that the percentage of
waste on them is high and the freight
bin is relatively higher on a big steer,
the fact that these bull calves are con-
demned to early death has no effect
in pulling down the price of cattle.
The south is thinking, not Of dairy
irg, but of growing beef cattle. The
farmers have been getting such good
prices for their different stock, they
have so much corn on hand now, that
the weevil has made them think of
something other than cotton, that in
every county there is local sentiment
favoring the eradication of the tick, a
comparatively simple operation, and
the growing of cattle for the packing
houses.
There is nothing wrong with the
t!ok-infested cattle from a food point
of view, but so long as the tick re-
mains in that country it is next to
impossible to improve the breed The
immune cattle are not up to the stand
ard CT requirement for profitable ship
renr The hauls to market are COM
paretively long, so it is desirable that
the amount of bone, hoof and horn to
be transported be reduced to mini
mum while the flesh that can be put
on the market is brought to the maxi
mum.
Honduras cattle have the physique.
They also are immune against the
fever producing tick. 1t is, therefore,
probable that some Honduras cattle
will be brought in for experimental
Cattle from the west will
also be sent in when it is possible to
take them in without certainty that
they will take splenetic fever from the
ticks and die or become so emaciated
that they will be no good even after
they have become acclimatej.
To take western or northern cattle
into the tickinfested country would
be a certain waste of money. There is
no cure for the fever. The individuals
that survive are not much, if any, bet
ter than the native herds, hence the
absolute necessity of getting rid Of the
tick on that demonstration farm, which
appropriately, is known as Hope Plan
tation
Pauline Hall is soon to return to the
stage.