The Bozeman courier., 1921-07-20

LIE UUuUMxxIx OUUrsxxzxs,
Just so long as any considerable por-
ton of the herd is run on pasture
with their calves and without atten-
tion, the men who use this type Of
bull are inviting trouble for there is
grave danger of very deep milking
cows running their unders. Further
more, such bulls are usually used with
a sacrifice Of beef which the farmer
can i'll afford.
Within any of the strictly beef
breeds some cows will be found that
produce s~-.Icely enough milk for
their calves while other produce more
than enough. Bulls selected for beef
from the latter type OF cows should
come the nearest to fulfilling the av-
erage dry farmers requirements. The
proportion of profit received from
beef and from milk should be the de-
Gliding factor in the type of bull used.
In the average herd where only part
of the herd is milked the production
of beef will be the main duty of the
herd and so the farmer must breed
for as good milking cows as possible
without sacrifice in beef.
On our irrigater farms conditions
are considerably different. Alfalfa
and clover hay, our best roughages
for livestock, are produced in very
considerable quantities. Straw is also
ltadily available, silage crops can
be produced easily, large silos can
be filled from a small acreage, grains
such as corn or barley can be produc-
ed for fattening and rich pastures are
at hand. Under such conditions we
may expect to find beef cattle occu-
= pying a different position than on the
+ dry farms.
Purebreds and Irrigation.
Here alfalfa hay, straw and silage
in goodly quantities form an ideal
wintering ration and home grown
grain is at hand in case it is needed
Pastures too are rich and will make
beef quickly and easily. But ques-
: tions arise as to whether this it put
ting these feed to the best use and
if beef can readily be produced eco
nomically. Such a combination of
good feeds and pasturage will usually
bring larger returns when fed to
dairy cattle, sheep and hogs than
when used in the production of beef
Most irrigated land will usually pro-
+ duce greater returns when in crops
/ than when in pasture so that the ac
: reage of pasture is best kept as low
). as is consistent with good farming
d parctice. The fact that they are OF
e high priced land usually makes the
= production of beef on them more ex
S pensive than on the dry farm or the
r open range. Usually a surplus ot
a winter feed is produced and this cal
(. be used in the wintering of cattle
Il that pastured on the open range ol
( forest ranges during the summer
The wintering of such cattle is ant
will probably continue to be an i'm
: pOrtant factor in the disposal of tn
I roughage produced on many of ou
Z irrigated farms.
If we are to produce good beef Of
! our farms and ranges, we must hav
Z bulls that are capable of string goo
: steers. Grade bulls are incapable o
keeping up the scale and quality o
? our breeding herds so that we mus
) look to the purebreds for this pun
2 pose. Local pride if nothing els
: would urge us to breed within tn
7 state the necessary animals for thi
$ purpose. Just as the animals tha
( actually produce the beef are bette
? adapted to one type Of farm so to
{ are the purbreds. But while the bee
: producing herds are best adapted I
s the dry farms and open ranges til
Z purebreds are best adapted to the il
s rigated farms. They require MOI
- and better feed and care than do til
= grade herds if the young animals al
to be developed to their greatest C;
-. pacity and they will pay we'll for tt
luscious grass of the irrigated pa
lures.
Conditions of feed and pasturae
: Indicate that most of our beef WI
. be produced on the dry farms ar
: the ranges with little of it excel
: through wintering or fattending pr
. duced on the irrigated farms, but thi
9 the irrigated farms are to be Il
. breeding centers from which will {
. forth breeding animals capable
. improving our herds so that beef
a better quality may be product
. more quickly and more cheaply tn;