The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-02-12
STOCK WILL
MAKE AMERICA
DEPENDENT NATION
Food Supply Must
Come From Pure Breeds
Declares Government Ex-.
pert Before Cattle Men.

NEW ORLEANS. la, Feb. u. (Spl)
If the United States is to retain
the agricultural leadership established
by war, we must improve the quailty
and the quantity of live stock, sald
Dr. j. r. MohleT, chief of the bureau
Of animal industry. United states de-
partment Of agriculture, in an address
here today to the Southern Cattlemen's
association.
Failure TO maintain our live stock
In proportion 60 our population means
dependence on other countries said
DR.. Mohler. 1T means dependence on
them for meat, for leather, for ami
NAL fats. II means dependence on them
also for fertilizers with which 10 main
tain crop yields in the absence OF ma
nUre.
Meat Imported Last Year.
Imports Of meats and meat products
by the United States In 1918 eAceeded
100. 900, 900 pounds, These were received
principally from Argentina and Canada
A report lately received from the Amer
lean cOnsul-general at Buenos Aires
contains some Illuminating public re.
mark by the manager or an Argentine
packing establishment, He stated that
| large quantities OF canned meats are
now regularly sent to the United States,
the great cattle country OF former
years, also. that the United States
can no longer be regarded as a meat
Discussing the rapid development IN
/ artificial refrigeration and ocean ship
ment of meat DR.. Mohler said that
important changes involving the meat
industry are going on constantly and
South America IL preparing to feed
nations that fail TO provide meat for
themselves" Discussing why South
American countries are able 10 produce
meat cheRply enough 10 compete with
the home grown products OF other
countries, he mentioned the systematic
upbuilding Of South American herds TO
n superiority over even imported
strains, the extensive growing Of alfal-
IA, insuring an abundance of the best
pasturage, and the fact that the cattle
are in the open throughout the year.
South Has Similar Conditions.
Those conditions are similar TO con-
ditions here in the southern part OF the
United States" said DIR. hohler. 4
want to call you attention TO the i'm
portAnce Of better types OF live stock.
ComplimentinE the South on clearing
the cattle fever tick in less than ID
years from two-thirds Of the area orig
inally infested, noting that a few years
more Of vigorous work will suppress
hog cholera entirely, and remarktng
that "a healthy beginning has been
made In the systematic eradication of
animal tuberculosis by the accredited
herd plan, DR.. Mohler declared, With
these three scourges at last out Of the
way, or reduced to impotency, and the
lesser ailments cut down in proportion,
the United States should be a live
stock region where animal improvement
should continue with accelerated prog
ress, The United States has less thar
half as many serious animal scourges
AS exist in the world, largely because
| Nkta AAuVaNzxy hna Nod n -nal aRnuA L.
disease control and is following II up.
That phase of the work, however, has
been the prevention OF loss; an equally
important task Is the upbuilding oil
what we may call our live stock as
sets"
Scrubs Should Become Extinct
Scrub live stock is no longer III
for perpetuation, A scrub is wasteful o.
feed, and wasteful of its owners labor
The scrub animal has served Its pur.
pose as a connecting link between thu
old obsolete method Of farming an
new progressive methods, Thousand
OF farnnsrs In NIis country already hav,
discarded scrub stock and are bette
off because of that decision. Pure bred
are worth more to keep and are wortl
more to sell.
Animal evolution is constantly go,
ing on. You are working here in thu
South where the field for improvement
is ripe, If you are just beginning. be.
gin right, II you have started wrong
get right as soon as you can. This
means the wise choice OF breeding ami,
mails and following out a consistent
plan. The kind OF live stock which
the South Is to have eventually Is
merely the sum total OF what each
farmer chooses. You can help to make
the Improbable scrub COW extinct. The
method Is obvious-just stop breeding
that kind. You can continue the ex-
termination Of the principal animal dis
eases, and once they are stamped out
the quarantine services OF the bureau
and the various states Will see that
they do not get back"