Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-01-10

OF dairy COWS. pork in place OF sheep.
but in all cases as large q proper
ton as possible Of the growth of all
to be derived from pasturage and
home grown grain feed.
III the adjoining farm TO you is tor
sale. why not buy it, stock it with
young cattle, and if you are already
caring for. all the dairy cows you feel
you can handle, sell the calves AMI
a-year-oid heifers and raise beef ala
imals. Pasture the product Of five or
10 brood sows. feed them in self-feed-
ers and market them before the win
ter season sets III. thus making the
most of the growing summer season.
Quoting from, ilcnry's Feeds and
Feeding: In 1900 there were about GOD
cattle other than milcn COWS per 1000 IN
habitants in this country. but in 1910
the number had decreased to 40. and
later estimates Indicate a further fail
ure Of the beef cattle to keep pace with
population And this was written be-
fore we declared war on Germany
which still further depooulated the beef
supply of the country by shipping I'm
heard OF quantities Of all kids and
classes Of beef and pork to our armies
and the legions of our allies.
The range Of the West is thing o:
the glorious past, described by imagina-
tive writers in both prose and verse.
but very securely fenced and sauatte
on and settled by the small farmer.
The East. always the best market
for good beef. strange as 1t may sound.
buys probably IS per cent. Of the beef
1t consumes from the western farmers.
who raise the beef on farms valued at
iron, so to $500 per acre, while there
are thousands and thousands Of acres
II, this eastern country raising little Or
uothing but weeds and brush that would
produce better pastures and almost as
good crops. and this land is selling = IS
valued at from IS to s25 per acre, inc!ud-
Ing buildings.
Truly. it may soon come to pass that
the slogan Of Horace Greeley may be
revised and read 90 East. young man.
Where in this ch and beautiful coua-
try can the young. man recently return
eli from France turn and find such Won
der.rl opportunities for profit and pleas
u.e without the isolation and lonesome
less o; the virgin prairies?
There are hundreds OF farms here \
tile Eas: today that can be bought for
less than the buildings would cost to
build, with all the la-,l as a gift, and
still this same eastern country is paying
unheard OF prices for meat Of all kinds
and allows 50 per cent. of its total area
to 90 unoultivated. If these opportuni-
ties were calling from Australia, Rus
sia, and so on around the world. thous-
ands having their homes in city and
suburban districts would be hiking to
the Ell Dorado of milk and honey. but
with country within L few hours ride
OF the State House. this allurement
passes unheeded and we gon paying
five times the price we paid = years
ago. and he farms are cheaper today
than at that time.
"All flesh is grass. A properl! handled
beef creature. marketed when IS to -
months Of age should have made - per
cent. Of his gain and growth Oh grass,
a hog should make 20 per cent. Of his
gain on pasture Of grass or rape: pou,-
try should gain one-third their growing
weight from growing green food, AMI
yet with al provisions selling approAi-
mately at sye times their a5-year-ago
price. the grass grows just as freely.
costs no more and makes as large a
part OF the gain, and the land and
farms are selling -cr even less than at
that time. Now why? Simply because
we have been asleep at the switch. We
have bought beef from the West so Ions
that We forget that the East can and Is
going to raise its own beef. pork, NUT
ton and poultry Why the State Of
Maine alone could supply all New Eng
land, and the state Of New York could
feed Pennsylvania. New Jersey, herself
and New England by simply conserving
the natural resources of grass pasture
and waste lots.
Every farm owner. should carefully
study his holdings. consider each lot
and field, and ask himself if he is get
ting everything he should from the lot.
if every foot OF it is growing something
that he is turning into money, if his
land is natural corn land. is he raising
as much field and silage corn as he
should. Silage or natura! corn land
will often double the livestock capacity
Of any farm. anC farms that have more
pasture than winter feed can eQualize
their problem by building a silo.
But alter all is said and done. the
real money profit out Of the livestock
farm is grass Al flesh is grass, and
it's the farmers problem 70 turn the
grass that grows on his farm. or would
grow on his farm i. he kept the brush
and weeds down. into flesh and the kind
OF flesh that will show him the greatest
profit
'If he has ample labor for milking
and caring for dairy cattle. in all
probability herd of dairy cattle,
with the SKINNED milk returned to
the land in the shape of pork pro-
more than the same acreage
used for beef production. But il
short on labor. indoor or out. then
the farmer should consider beef. for
double or more the number of VS.
can be kept for beef production.
much larger farms maintained and
we'll cared for. if the morning AMI
evening chores Of caring for aud
are eliminated.
TT is estimated in the West that
one man alone can care for herd
of 200 beef cattle if the watering Is
and sheds and buildings
we'll arranged. whereas if that au.a-
Der of dairy cattle were kept. 1t
would take five or six hands 20 care
for them and their product. With
cut doubt dairy cattle make greater
return from the grass they consur'e
than their beef sisters. but the p ~
animals take care Of themselves and