The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-09-01
THE ALMOST SACRED COW
THE TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORMATION BUREAU
By Frederic j. Haskin. Director.
Washington, ID. O.

its main object to save the American
COW from drouth, disease and slau5h-
ter.
The reason back of this campaign is
that the worlds supply of cattle Is at
a dangerously low ebb, that every LAY
of war is forcing it lower, and that
after the war every European bell1g-
erent is going to depend largely upon
America to replace the herds that
have been ruthleSsly slaughtered for
food, or to save food.
A few years ago there was much
said and written about our shorta &c
of meat animals; the condition was
declared to be serious Ii It was
serious then, it is alarming now. If
we were threatened with short meat
rationS then, we are close to enforced
vegetarianism now. Since the war the
number of meat animals in the world
has decreased lis, 005, 900, according
to the figures of the food administra-
ton. There has been a slight increase
of hogs and cattle in the United States
since the wa began, but not nearly
enough to offset the terrific world de-
crease; to meet the demands of our
allies for meat; or to meet the de-
mand for livestock that is coming
| from Europe after the war.
| There is only one national figure
who can remedy the situation. No,
not Herbert Hoover; but the Ameri-
can COW. Like the ladies on the Ark
| she faces the tremendous problem of
| repopulating a stricken world For
| this reason she must be saved, and the
| bureau of animal industry of the de-
| partment of agriculture is out to save
| her.
| The method of procedure has been
| to appoint a committee consisting of
| Mr.. G. M. Rommel, chief of the bu-
reau of animal industry; Mr.. Pinchot,
| the well known conservationist, and
| Mr.. LaSSater, a big Texas Stockman.
These are the official protectors of the
now almost sacred American COW. For
| their aid and advice council or rep
resentative stockmen has been called
by Secretary of Agriculture Houston.
Concerning Cow Conservation.
The program of COW conservation
| which has been mapped out includes
| the moving of cattle from drouth-
| stricken regions to more favorable
| ones; recommending special attention
| to the cows diet; restricting the
| slaughter of cows as much as possible;
| and urging farmers to provide more
hay and ensilage for their livestock.
The newest and most interesting
| thing under way is the removal of
cows from the dry lands of the south
west TO the rich and perennial pastures
| of the southern states. Down in the
Texas panhandle they are having one
| of the driest spells in the history of
the states The cattle men say there
are children in Texas two years old
who have never seen it rain This
may be an exaggeration, but it is
matter of record that in some sections
there have been only a few light
sprinkles for over a year.
| This panhandle country is one of
| the greatest range sections in the
| United States 1t is practically all
| devoted to the business of raising cat
| tie, and Hereford blood has been in
troduced until all the cattle have been
| bred up to a high standard of excel
| lence. Furthermore. these cattlemen
| have figured out just about how many
acres it takes to support a COW under
usual conditions, and they have stock
| ed the range to capacity. This year
| conditions are not usual. They are
most unusual both as to forage and as
| to water, and thousands of valuable
cows are threatened with death They
are actually riding the range to knock
calves in the head, so that the vitality
of their mothers may be conserved.
Anything is better than to lose a COW.
The Richest Pasturase.
Now the far southern states contain
some of the richest paSturage IN this
country. In Mississippi and Louisiana
especially there are great areas CT cut
over lands that are not cultivated and
are supporting only a few head Of
scrubby stock. Until a few years they
could not do more in that section be-
cause of the prevalence of the cattle
tick. But recently the work of the
reduced the tick menace, and has
made great areas of southern pasture
land safe for cattle of good breed.
Some few landowners in Mississippi
have been buying cattle from Texas
for several years.
| The government experts are now 10
ing everything in their, power to slim
ulate this government They have
men in Texas and in the more easterly
states who are working to bring he
| Nd he 70 fI0H
The Texans are glad to sell al a pretty
low price because of the losses which
!. threaten their herds, and there is good
money in it for the southern farmers.
Furthermore, livestock of good breed
| ing, like that of the Texas panhandle
J country is just what the south needs
An infusion of Hereford cows is worth
a great deal more to that country
than it will probably cost. Mr.. E. w
| Farley, who has charge of beef pro-
duction work in the bureau of animal
industry believes that the movement
of cattle from the southwestern ranges
to the southeastern farms will become
/ a permanent thing and good one fol
! all parties concerned.
A Difference About Veal.
Conservation of cows by restricting
their slaughter is another method tina
; promises well. Rather too much ha.
been said, lately. about the damage
, done by killing calves. The govern
ment experts say that the very bes
time to market stock is at the age o.
$ seven or eight months. They are urg
ing stockmen to sell spring calve:
, late in the fall, always keeping theil
ranges or pastures stocked with tn,
r greatest possible number of breeding
= animals. 1t is the COW, and especial,
: | the young COW, that must be spared
for she is the hope of the future. Tt
keep calves simply because they ar,
calves is waste of feed. The farme
I is urged therefore to sell all excep
: enough heifer calves to keep his breed
L ing herd up to the number that he car
= feed and feed well. He is also urge,
s to be sure that all of his cows are bret
every year.
Next to the maintenance of maxi