Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-10-31
NlFarrn Notes
(By G. NJ. Hatch)

Did YOU ever see farm boy VINO
didn't plead for a pair of steer calves.
They all do and many of them get
them nowadays.
They are buying them up fast this
fall. all kinds of steers.
Charles r. Gay of Pennington
bought a pair of six weeks old Short
horns for his young son. The lad
wanted Herefords which shows his
good Judgment but these were not so
plentiful and cost more. money.
f. A. Hilton of Arson with so or 60
head of cattle, largely Hereford COWS
and heifers, had to buy some steer
calves for his son. They were white
faces and four of them bought at
Athens fair.
Charles H. harrington bought pair
of nicely matched Hereford year old
steers at Athens fair.
I'D in Eustis Harry Sylvester has
recently sold four white faced steer
calves, pure bred Herefords.
One pair went to A. w. Jackson of
New Portland and the other pair to
his son-in-law. Ernest Luce, who
lives on the same farm.
Mr.. Jackson has owned steers for so
or 60 years, has in fact been a dealer
in cattle mostsof his life, but enjoys
having a fancy pair of steers in the
barn just as we'll as any of the young
err boys.
Down in Kennebec county, Mount
Vernon, is the greatest steer fancier
of them all, E. A. Robinson, Ed"
that's what we all call him, simply
wouldn't be without some steers and
they've got. to be Herefords.
L. l.e
owning them; the only time he has
been without them was while he was
superintendent Of E. A. Bailey's Lake
view farm at Winthrop and then he
had a big herd of registered Here
fords and 10 or more pairs Of Here
ford steers and oxen, the best in the
State because they won most Of the
prizes at the big fairs.
Last fall Mr.. Robinson sold several
pairs to L. E. Stevens of Turner
which made UP the team. Mr.. Stevens
showed at Lewiston.
1t was not many weeks before Mr..
Robinson was over on his favorite
stamping grounds and between Lee
Foss and the other OK men he soon
had bought five more pairs. True, he
had to mismatch some to get them
to suit. The most Of these are three
year olds and when next August rolls
around there will be five pairs Of fan
cy fat steers suitable to win some OF
the money in competition with the
best likely to be shown.
Elmer Gile of Fayette, veteran Here
ford breeder. has purchased the show
herd of white faces Of DR.. e. w. Files
of Gorham. These registered Here
fords are a very select bunch from
the southern acres of Maj. j. Watson
Webb of Shelburne, Vermont: in fact.
as Mr.. Gle says. "a hand picked lot,
Mr. Gile was for many years a big
winner at Maine and New England
fairs and while he does not say so 1t
seems evident he will have his hat In
the ring next year along with choice
herd of white faced cattle.
Sheep are paying well on the farms
at the present time. Have always paid
a little. Now the returns from the
sheep fold are greater. Wool is higher
according to Western papers. Sheep
in Maine are not plentiful in the
market. Many would like to buy them
but think prices are too high. They
are higher than last year probably
from three to five dollars per head.
The real opportunity'to buy sheep was
in the summer and early fall of 1924.
Between then and housing time there
was a rapid increase in values.
There is no one breed of sheep par
ticularly favored in Maine just now,
largely a question of fancy.
Some favor Cheviots because OF
their general hardness and by reason
Of their being the best Of. mothers;
the Shropshires are popular and num-
erous comparatively while Oxford
Downs and Hampshires have their
partisans and even now and then there
is flock of Merinos.