The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-25
Problem: High cost of living.
Solution: The southern farmer.
Method: Raising beef cattle.


1t has become almost impossible to pick
mp any issue Of the daily press without
finding therein dispatches from all parts
of the country regarding the high cost of
meats.
In spite of advise of the medical men
to the contrary, American people will eat
meat Vegetable diet may be better for
him, but the American Of this day and
age wants meat and plenty of it, and
that desire probably as much or more
than any other one thing, has given birth
TO that ogre which stalks abroad in the
land and is called by housewives the high
cost of living.
Underwoods tariff no doubt will do
much But it seems that for the COM
plete solution of the problem it is going
to take this southern mans tariff and the
southern farmers beef cattle. In 1905
this country exported about $4,000 600
worth of beef and live beef cattle: last
year the exports had turned to imports
and Argentina, Australia. Europe and
Canada were pouring across our bounda-
ries the beef we wanted but had not
raised. No wonder the price of-meat has
gone up,
Demand Greater and Supply Less
The great western range country for
years furnished the United States with
her beef for home consumption and ex-
port But on the one hand this western
country is settling up and beginning to
devote itself to other pursuits than cattle
raising and Gun the other hand the greater
eastern and middle western cities are
growing so fast that they consume mora
beef than in fbrmer years. The demand
greater. the pply less.
That's the br each in the situation. Will
the southern fa rmer fill It?
Can the south ern farmer fill 1t?
Ten or IS yeats ago few people, If any,
would have attempted to answer the ques-
'tion in the affirmative and prove it. The
question of whether he can or can't is
now one of the livest LII almost every
farming section I'm the south. For years
ii had been believed he could not Cattle
raising and the Texas fever tick had
wrought woe to many a southern farmers
ambition. The two refused to work to-
gether and the tick nnally had stuck
around" so long that the farmers became
convinced he was an uncomfortable enc
my. 1t was a case of stop raising cattle
or get rid of the tick. Sad experience
showed that as a dodger of determination
the tick was a specialist all by himself.
Therefore the farmer made the best of
the situation and has taken practically
no interest in cattle raising.
Can Kill Fever Tick
Now comes the man who boldly arises
and states he can kill the Texas fever
tick Naturally he is met with ridicule
and prejudice and doubt lie is called a
dreamer and a schemer and a meddler and
n fool. But some men have believed in
him and listened. Because they listened
they are now raising profitable cattle
where they were never raised before.
Uncle Sam is behind the man who says
he can kill the tick and therefore he
keeps up his work.
His converts now cover whole states in
some places in the south. Alabama is
one of those which have fought him
hardest. Yet in Alabama the farmers of
one county have already yielded to his
logic and have exterminated their cattle
ticks With what results let inquiries be
made in Madison.
But more than Madison will have to
take up the work before the southern
farmer with his beef is going to be able
to help the southern man with his tariff
I'm reducing the price meat. Right in
Birmingham now is located the office of
one of these tick killers, whose territory
embraces Alabama. Mississippi and Ten
nessee.
DR. J. A. Kiernan is his name. He is
local inspector in charge of the bureau
of animal industry, United States depart
ment of agriculture His business is to
help the farmers of Alabama and Missis-
sppi and Tennessee raise beef cattle. And
here follows a paper written by himself
to the farmers of these states on the sub
Ject:
Alabama is going to raise more and bet
ter cattle because the production of scrub
cattle is Improbable, unbusinesslike and
sheer waste of the natural grasses with
which the state is so bountifully supplied.
The United States census of 1910 shows
the state to have 1,0O7 725 head of cattle of
all ages. The average value of the cattle
in this state is SIS per head; the second
lowest average valuation of any state in
the United States.
Alabama ranks 18th in population and
9th in land area among the states. The
average value of farm land per acre for
the whole state is S1046 There are ap-
proximately 100000 acres of available
pasture land nearly all of which is ca
pable of producing at lehst S. per acde
annually when grazed with a good type
of beef cattle. This is the amount of
the interest and taxes on the land at a
valuation of $40 per acre.
Some Interesting Figures
Pastures in the northern part of the
of two acres for each animal and It is
believed the state will average five acres
for each COW.
good type of cattle should average at
least $50 per head. IT will be readily seen
that IL we availed ourselves of the pas
ture lands for cattle at least 100000 head
could be supported. valued at 500 100000.
IF Alabama should increase the number
of her cattle 100 per cent, could a market
be found for them? Let us see: In the
last six years there has been decline
of over 80 per cent in the number of beef
cattle in the country, while the popula-
ton has constantly increased. According
to the estimates of the United States de-
partment of agriculture the beef cattle in
the country January /, 1907, numbered
5l,56S,000, and on January l. 1913. the num-
her was only 36.0S0,0oo More than half of
the meat produced in the United States
is slaughtered under government inspec-
tion. decrease of over 915 per cent Is
shown in the number of animals killed
under this inspection in the first three
months of 1913. compared with the first
quarter of 1912.
"a sSz5S 24 Ia - y n