The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-17
.sHORT-sTAPlE COTTON;
BR0AD-BACkEU BEEVEs

Colonel J. stonington Blackwell.
otherwise known in the south as "Ay-
erage Farmer" is metamorphosing
from q cotton grower into a cattle
feeder because Of the helpful investi-
cations in cattle feeding conducted by
the United States department of agri-
culture in cooperation with the Ala
bama and Mississippi experiment sta
tfons- Sneak thieves In the form OF
oyeyfowsn 46uctnafina rparkefE ApfS--
lvorRple xfuwlng seHsons, VAf,A ufiG M
tivities OF Mr.. Boil WeeviI who preyed
on cotton profits, have made the
homely business Of animal husbandry
look mighty attractive to Colonel
Blackwell, now that the favages of
the cattle tick are coming under con-
troll.
However. Colonel J. stonington and
his neighbor planters, at the outset.
were a little skeptical about buying
pure-bred bulls. trifie up in the air
when 1t came to providing the cattle
with better quarters and balanced ra-
tions, and DOWNRIGHT panciky when It i
came to the construction Of silos and
the feeding Of ensilage. But they
have lived to learn and have devel-
oped into such apt pupils that as a
result OF their efforts in putting Dixie
land on the live stock map. Natchez,
Miss; Birmingham, Ala; Moultrie,
Ga. and Jacksonville, Fla, at pres
ent arc operating packing plants.
IN Days Conc by.
In tho good old days, when the ma
tive cattle made a big banquet of
lick ana a promise, Colonel Blackwell
was accustomed to rough the few cat
tie he kept on cottonseed hulls, with
feast day allowances of cottonseed
meal to slick the coats and pad the
| shanks of the rustlers. However. the
recent high prices Of cottonseed hulls.
the spread Of diversified farming and
the coming and conQuering of the siio
have effected a revolution which has
, matured the ex-cotton growers into
spick-spanking stockmen.
Uncle Sam has been a prize tutor In
educating southern planters and farm
ers along stock-raising lines. His
most recent lesson. as contained in
United States department of agricul-
| ture bulletin 762, "A Comparison OF
Roughages for Fattening Steers in the
South" deals with the efficiency OF
corn and sorghum siiage and other
roughage such as cottonseed hulls.
corn slower and oat straw. Invesu-
! cations were conducted for four years
in the making OF porterhouse steaks
and prime ribs Of beef. Good gains
were produced economically by the
use Of cottonseed meal and silage. or
cottonseed meal and silage supple
mented with dry roughage such as
4 cottonseed hulis, corn slower or oat
/ straw.
\ Another Medal for Sflage.
4 Uncle Sam shows that a ration of
cottonseed meal and cottonseed hulls
produces less rapid and more expen
sive gains in fattening steers than a
- -. f. III tf4r
forms all or most of the roughage. IF
cottonseed hulls are available at
reasonable price. they can be used
economically to supplement a ration
composed chilly Of cottonseed meal
and silage. The cattle that were fed
lcottonseed meal and a heavy feed of
silage ate only a small quantity of any
Iroughage. such as corn slower or
straw. but the consumption of this
doughage rtduced the total amount Of
tsi1age consumed.
The use of cheap, dry roughage for
Isuppfementing a silage ration exerts
little effect on the rate OF economy OF
gains. reports the federal department
Of agriculture, aA a result OF it's south
ern cattle feeding work. However.
when such feeds are available on the
farm and are not needed for wintering
stock or breeding animals. the depart
side dishes for the chow-time use of
the beeves
'Gfve silagc It's due. say the scien-
lists, "as either corn or sorghum sflage
fed in generous quantity in combina-
ton with cottonseed meal or cake pro-
duces much more rapid and econom-
teal gains on steers than do such dry
roughaEes as cowpea hay, straw and
corn stoyer when fed 10 add bulk and
w&.ls hxr
ducts" Similarly II was ascertained
that steers do better even in the
warmer southern chimes where their
feet are warm and dry and their bod
les are snug and comfortable. Open
end sheds. sheltered feeding lots and
dry, well-bedded yards were PORTABLE
INVESTMENTS. a. they infiuen ced. animal
scomfort and well-betng. which In turn
effected increased gains per unit of
food.
Long and short OF 1t.
/ II In often more profitable under
Dixie conditions with respect to the
age ana quality of the cattle to feed
heAvy rations over a short period than
Ito feed lighter rations over q longer
period. The conditions of the steers
when placed in the feed lot and the
market price the the chief factors to
Iuse az basis for determining whether
Ito employ the short or long feed. AS
a rule 1t Is q safe policy for the south
fern stockman to prime his cattle with
plenty Of finish. as steers in the best
market condition commanded the ban
ner prices and returned the maximum
profits during the period Of these in
Ivestigations.
/ Cattle which are sold on large mar
gins usually bring good profits. even
though the cost OF nnhhing the feed
ing animals 10 high. A dependable
land certain way Of insuring satisfac-
tory financial outcome OF the beef
making operations n TO buy the feed
ers at right prices OF to raise the ami
mails economically. chiefly on farm
grown feeds such as silags., stover.