The state herald., 1919-12-05

Less Risk In Good Than
prepared by the United States Depart.
ment Of Agriculture.)
Are you going to feed any cattle this
winter? II so, what kind Of feed are
you going to use? And what kind of
cattle are you going to feed?
Those questions have been asked
persistently. one feeder of another. for
the past several months wherever cat
tie are commonly fed in the United
States. Now the time has arrived for
filling the feeding lots-and the Ques-
tlon Is more inslstent than ever.
II used to be the common practice,
when corn was high In price. to feed
more roughage. II corn was low. the
feeder could afford to feed 1t In larger
quantities over longer period. II he
was gUiag to feed corn In considerable
quantities over long period. he was
disposed to buy hIgh-class cattle. II
corn was high and the feeder felt that
he had to use larger proportion Of
roughage. he was disposed to buy
palmer, thinner cattle.
A Day Of New Rules.
But just now oil the old rules are
upset. Feeders. In common with every
body else, are living In new world
Just as truly n new world as II the
things seen by the zeal0t Of Patmos
had come to pass. Corn is high-un-
precedentedly high compared to pre-
war prices. The old rule would be
Feed more rough stuff" But rough.
age also IL hIgh-unprecedente 30.
Whnt Is to he done about it7
The United States department Of
agriculture agrees with the expression
Of many experienced feeders that.
largely. 1t Is q matter Of each mans
guessing for himself. Still the depart
ment insists that the accumulated
knowledge about cattle feeding In
worth great deal and that II can be
applied even under the present dis
turbed conditions by practically every
feeder. The necessities Of the situa.
tion will vary with different localities
and with different individuals In the
same locality. II is time. the depart.
ment experts believe. when no man
should fail to avail himself Of the help
Of the county agent and experienced
feeders In determining what Is best TO
do under particular conditions.
Some Of the foundation facts Of
feeding. Of course, nre unchanged. II
Is stIll true. Rs It always has been. that
the soil fertility Of II grain farm is al-
most certain to be depleted unless n
considerable part Of the crop is fed
10 live stock and the fertility value
returned 10 the fields. Feeding. after
all. is ordinarily part OF balanced
agriculture. and Its profits or losses
cannot be exactly figured on the bnsis
Of money received for finished cattle
though every man. OF course. should
take all precautions reasonably pos.
slble to put the balance on the right
side Of the ledger for the single opera
tion. q
Feeding Period Shorter.
The new elements are variously np
plicablc to different sections and to
different individuals. Al least one Of
them. however. In pretty general. The
feeding period will have TO be shorter
than used TO be considered desirable.
The maximum period that most feed.
crs can contemplate this year In said
TO be 100 days but preferably consider.
ably less. That means. necessarily.
that most feeders cannot nfford to
"feed to n finish" II has been realized
for long time that every pound of
weight put on at the end Of finish.
Ing period costs more than n pound
put on earlier In the process. When
every pound put on mt nny sinre of
the process Is costing. ns the feeder
feels. too much. the old six TO eight
months period of feeding In In the dis.
card. II mny come Into plny ngnin on
n new deal. but not while the cards are
distributed ns they are at present.
II used 20 be standard advice that
only animals Of good quality should be
used, M they sell for higher price
and dress u higher percentage Of beef.
The department experts still sny
TINT the average feeder is taking less
chance on good steer thnn on u plain.
er one. but there nrc mnny feeders.
especially the inexperienced. whom
they .ndvis. TO Use the palmer kind. II
lust about sifts down TO this express,
sion from nm old. experienced feeder
"a policy TINT II practical and profit
able for one feeder mny be wholly Inn
practicable for another. Because one
man buys only top feeders and feeds
10 n finish In no evidence TINT he In n
better cattle mnn than his nciebbor
syho buys n lower grndc OF cnttlc nnd
llocs not feed TO u finish" And thnt
mems. nrnin. TINT every feeder IN nd
vlsrd 10 nnnlyze his own situation with
the greatest cnrc TINT lie cnn giye 10
II. TINT he nvnll himself of whatever
aid the comfy agent cnn give. That u"