The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-06-19

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shedding for cattle, but last winter
came one of the serverest billiards.
and worst snowstorms that have ever
visited Kansas. The Herefords on
the Philip place are kept under strict
~ range conditions, and almost any
cattle of other breed would have been
on the market as skins, after what
these Whitefaces have gone through
But visitor last March found them
nibbling about unconcernedly with
big husky calves running beside the
cows.
What HerefordLove Springs From
W. D. (Bill) Philip, the son makes
his home on the ranch while his faith
er drives out to give him proper in
structions occasionally. "Bill" had
this to say of the Hereford: 81 have
seen just about all kinds of cattle
that walk,and I feel sure if we had
had anything else than Herefords
they would have been dead, after
what we have been up against. In
these last three hard years I have
never helped a cow at calving time
and have never had to pull any cows
out of the mud along the creek.
They are so strong no mud can hold
them.
Over in Trego County the Philips
have summer pasture of 1,76O acres.
The cattle are always trailed
across the country in the old fashion
everything about as it used to be in
the cattle days. It is something like
80 miles from the home place ;but one
day last winter it was decided to take
306 head back to the ranch at Hays.
Let "Bill'' Philip tell you what hap
pened:
cit took US all day to go Fl miles
on saddle horses" he said. eve drove
those cattle 40 miles to get only %
and in many places the snow was bel
ly-deep, and not even a sore-footed
cow was in the lot. All they had to
eat for four days was 24oo pounds of
cotton cake. 1t is such things
that make a man love Herefords."
Before the big storm of last winter
the Philip cattle lived on red bunch
grass and one pound of cake a day.
After that they were give two
pounds of cake and one load of
roughage every day. This roughage
was supposed to be cane; the fact is
that it was mostly weeds and foxtail
because of last years drought. But
theHerefords got along somehow, and
the only losses were a few early
calves that died from exposure in the
extremely cold weather. Last March
the writer stood huddled up in big
fur coat while bitter cold wind was
blowing and saw the calves in one of
these big pastures, some of them hard
ly dry yet, but they were frisking
about as lively as any he had ever
seen behind the shelter of a big Mis-
souri, barn.
Alex Philip started handling grade
Herefords 25 years ago. The pure
bred herd was founded with six
heifers about seven years ago and
now numbers so or more. The pure
breds are used to build up the grades.
Formerly he showed some of his cat
tie at various expositions but he has
not made this a practice for several
years. However, he met with consid-
eraable success in exhibiting and has
trophies and ribbons to show for it.
One of the winnings in which he
takes pride was first on range calves.
For the Rlast two years Croker
Bros, at hatfield Green, Kansas, has
bought the entire calf crop. Some
times the calves have brought $65
head, taken off their DANES Oct. 1.
At other times the whole crop has
been contracted for even before the
calves were bred. Cattle from the
Big Creek Stock Farm have often
brought the top of the market. At
Chicago in May, 1912, bunch of 81
yearlings were sold by Mr.. Philip for
1910 a hundredweight. They aver
aged $50 pounds and were the first
cattle ever to bring that high a price.
1t was the sensation of the beef-cat-
tie industry for many a day after.
1t is purebred Hereford bulls that
have made these good things possible.
Among them are Cardinal by Do
mino. Sir Rupert, he Beau Donald
bred bull, Princeps by Beau Perfect
and several grandsons of old Domino.
Among the females are many of
Cherry Boy ancestry and others Of
! intense Anxious breeding. Mr.. Philip
has never stood back on price when
he found a good one that seemed to
fit his herd.
Enough and to Spare From HerefOrds
Several years ago Mr. Philip moved
into Hays and gave the active man.
agement of the place TO "Bill' Out
around Hays they say ''Bill" is just
natural-born cowman, but he him.
self admits he had some mighty good
instruction before ne took charge of
the ranch. The ranch house is a
beautiful place, built of stone quar-
ried out along the banks of Big Greek.
/ 1t has every modern convenience. but