The Lexington progress. (Lexington, Tenn.) 1884-current, 1921-07-29
TALK TO FARMERS
By Capt. T. F. Peck
OPPORTUNITIES IN TENNESSEE
FOR LIVE STOCK PRODUCTION.

Tennessee is rapidly taking her
place in the forefront as a live stock
producing state, especially in pure
bred herds to furnish service ami
mails to bring up the standard of our
grade herds for market purposes.
Financial success is the reward of
the efforts of the pioneers in this
work, who have paid fabulous prices
for imported animals to produce thor
oughbred service animals for distribu-
ton amoung breeders of thorough
bred and high grade herds. They are
entitled to their reward, but in time
the prevailing high prices for thoro-
ughbreds will be followed by lower
prices because of the increase in num-
bers in the progeny of the thorough
bred herds. There should be conduct
ed an aggressive campaign Of educa-
tion among the live stock men who
have been raising scrubs. They could
be shown the money advantages in
feeding high grades in preference to
scrubs, how much sooner they get
their growth, and the greater returns
in pounds for the same quantity of
feed; the advantage of uniformity in
type and color; the difference in off
spring for using a thoroughbred as
against native or scrub sire. The
right kind of campaign of education
and cooperation with the live stock
men ought to, and will in very few
years, entirely eliminate the scrub.
Those who have been producing
beef cattle for market purposes nat
urally could not afford to buy the
high priced service animals to use
with their native stock, but with the
supply of thoroughbreds constantly
increasing there will be reduction
from prices paid while the supply
was limited, and the thoroughbred sire
will be bought within the reach of the
average live stock man. BY conduct
ing campaign of education with
them, showing them the value Of US
ing puret'"ed sires, they will be put in
the way Of increasing their profits in
producing beef for market, and at the
same time providing a market for the
increased supply Of the breeders of
thoroughbred stock, at a small price
for the individual, but equally profit
able because of the volume of busi-
ness.
Tennessee has many advantages for
live stock production not enjoyed by
other states. In the mountainous sec
tons Of the State, where the land is
cheap and the grazing good, the beef
cattle can be produced ready for fin
ishing, when they can be brought to
the rich valley lands--too rich and ex-
pensive for grazing-where the
grains, clover and alfalfa can be pro-
duced for finishing the animals for
the market.
Our mountainous sections could
easily sustain five times the number
Of animals now on them during the
grazing season, which lasts eight
months of the year, and the rich coves
and valleys can produce winter feed
for all the stock necessary to carry
over after disposing of all ready for
finishing On the grains and feed pro
dUced on the rich lands in the large
valleys and Middle Tennessee basin.
The possibilities for successful live
stock production in Tennessee are al
most unlimited when our resources
are utilized to their capacity. When
we contemplate our possibilities we
cannot help realizing that we have
hardly made start towards their
utilization.
We are not wanting in opportuni-
ties. The question confronts US is:
are we going to be progressive
enough to profit by our superior ad-
yantages?