Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1919-05-28
A BEEF CATTLE TOUR
GRANT COUNTY MEN VISIT FARMS
AND INSPECT PRIDE OF BREED
ERS.-FEEDING, ETC.


Leaving Lancaster at 900 a. M. on
May 81, there arrived at the Williams
Bros. farm at the Hurricane. nine
automobiles and forty people to in
spect their herd of 2-year old feed
ers. Jesse Williams showed us 48
head OF steers, coming in fine condi-
ton from the winters feeding of corn
silage and ground barley The steers
were not quite finished, but owing to
lack of summer pasture, Mr.. Will
liams expected to market them with
in the next few weeks.
From the Williams farm. a short
stop was made at the fine farm home
of Joe Bailie, who is making good use
OF farm grown grains and a self
feeder in fattening two car loads of
hogs. At the farm of w j. Steinhoff,
six miles west of Platteville, the party
inspected an exceptionally fine herd
OF pure bred Angus. The COW, which
has been State Fair champion, was
still giving good account of herself
in the Steinhoff herd Some members
of the party turned back at this
point, and the tour was completed
by about 25 persons. At Platteville,
the party had dinner and spent a lit
tie time getting acquainted and ad-
vertising the big livestock meeting to
be held at Lancaster, June 4.
The next stop was at the farm of
Homer Biddick, near Livingston.
where there was a fine showing of Ii
head of choice baby beef, which Mr..
Biddick had been feeding for the
past year on ration of corn silage,
cottonseed meal, ground barley and
a small amount of corn. In another
pen were some exceptionally fine
calves, being raised on skinned milk.
Mr.. Biddick's herd of cows consisted
of high-grade Angus, and among them
are individuals with very high
milk producing record. The past
year herd of IA Angus cows pro-
duced on an average of s$125 per COW
in butterfat, in addition to about IL
quarts a day of milk that is used in
the farm home. From here, the party
drove to the Stanley farm, one mile
east of Livingston, where Geo. Sham
ley is in charge of feeding and graz
ing operations on big scale. There
were 1853 head of white faced steers
in the various pastures
From here the party drove to the
Griswold Bros. home, famous for it's
well-kept herd of Clifton Shorthorns.
Griswolds are also feeders, and among
the steers being fed in one bunch Of
eighteen 4-year Odds, now on pasture
and still receiving liberal ration Of
corn silage and cottonseed meal. The
steers are in prime condition and look
as though they were about ready to
top the market.
One important element that was
icc i11O thncn 70 Eicitc
to the fact that the feeders visited
had not kept accurate records of the
cost of feed consumed and gains pro-
cured. Professor Fuller of the Col
lege Of Agriculture, was called upon
at each stop to answer questions and
give advice regarding the beef indus
try as seen along the way. Many Of
the steers on pasture along the road
travelled indicated that two factors,
in particular, needed much more at
tention than was being received, as
pointed out by Professor Fuller. First
of these was the fact that much of
the stock on the average farm is
turned to pasture in poor condition,
which is probably due to the fact that
more stock is kept than is being we'll
taken care Of during the winter
uOuIuS. lie OIuGI ldSIOI, WhASIA
Professor Fuller pointed out, was the
necessity of more good sires of the
beef type in producing the right kind
of steers to take on meat to the best
advantage. Better winter feeding
and better breeding should receive
the attention of the average farmer.
With VIM. Mccormick as pacemaker
and pathfinder, the party followed to
the Mccormick home to have few
minutes chat with the twin sons,
who are being encouraged in farm
work by having several head of prom
Using Angus and Shorthorn calves,
which they are feeding for the Boys
Livestock Exposition to be held in
Madison in November. The journey
proved highly profitable to all. Many
questions were answered, and others
were suggested which time and exper-
fence alone can solve.