Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-10
MAINE RAISED
BEEF CAN BEAT
WESTERN RANGE
Large Herd Of Polled
A us Comes to
Maine-Man With
Courage Of His Con-
victions to Attempt
to Shot, NJ a i n e
F arm erS Where
They Have Seriously
Failed

One OF the most important events
in the livestock OF Maine is the re-
cent arrival in jefferson, Maine, Of a
lot OF Al head Of pedigreed Polled
Angus cattle. This represents the
choicest selection from the leading
herds Of the West and includes many
prize winners, among which are the
first prize and grand champion bull at
Denver, Colorado, and the first prize
hefer calf. also winners at Oklaho-
ma City and Tennessee State fairs.
Memphis and Knoxville, Indiana and
Kentucky State fairs. Southwest
American Live Stock Show and H.
linois State fair in 1918. All this stock
is out of prize winners for years
back.
large portion Of these were pur-
chased from eX-President Sutton Of
the Kansas Board OF Agriculture.
who has been breeding them for the
past 20 years. The two-year drouth
that has stricken western Kansas and
reduced the feeds to practically moth
ing. ruined the pastures and almost
caused starvation in a large number
Of herds. is the only reason that in
duced Mr.. Sutton 10 part with the
cream Of his herd and prize winners.
Maine. and particularly the dis
trict surrounding Jefferson, are to oe
congratulated upon the acquisition
Of I, herd of such size and merit, tor
it means much to the farmers Of the
entire State" in the opinion Of men
largely interested in agriculture.
The Angus cattle for the past 90
years have demonstrated their supe-
riority over all beef breeds by win
ring over 80 per cent. Of the single
steer, steer. herd, carload and car
cass prizes at the International Live
stock Exposition at Chicago. This
fact, together with their quiet dispo.
sition (being hornless). and Their
ability to rustic a living off almost
anything, some think. will make them
the most popular breed in the east
within a short time.
III anyone should ask you today
why New England pays millions and
millions of dollars every year for
beef. pork, mutton. poultry and
dairy products when she has so many
idle farms and waste land. what
WOutQ De your answer
This question is asked by the own
er Of the herd and he goes on:
"a few years ago when beef was
selling for 4 cents per pound and
pork for S cents to s cents per pound.
the answer might have been that
they could not compete with the
the western cheap land range. etc.
but that is not true today and strange
as it may seem, land is no higher IN
New England today than when the
above quoted prices prevailed.
Today New England offers more
livestock inducements than the bal
ance Of the country. We have tic
finest pastures. with the best Of wa
ter, cheap tillage land, and buildings
all in good order, selling at one half
the price Of the building alone. anil
the land at one-tenth the price II
much Of the western land that -
raising the provisions that we ara
eating.
New England is not using ono
tenth Of her land today. The average
farmer is not farming one-fifth OF hts
land. There are hundreds Of vacant
farms. and farms owned by men and
women too old to cultivate them long
er. that are rapidly going back" to
a state Of nature-pasturc growing
up to brush wood and timber. fields
running out. the moving coming into
weeds. and why?
1T seems to me that the answer IS
lack OF livestock and a confusion that
conditions ruled them out
temporarily. and no thought given
the matter since to study conditions
here and in the West.
1T costs no more to pasture a COW.