Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1962-09-27
BY Roscoe Whip
Assistant County Agent
in charge of All

TIL D6Gl SlUU is IIlOSI RrdUG-
full to all who supported the
clubs third annual beef sale
held at the Montgomery
County Fair. Only through
the wholehearted support OF
the citizens of this and near
by counties is it possible to
hold a sale of this caliber.
A total of 81 individual and
business concerns bought
these prize grain fed steers.
The club is most grateful to
MIR. and Mrs. Henry Hickerson
of Germantown who last Fall
donated a Charlois-Angus Cross
Calf to the club to be fed out
and sold at the sale. The steer
was sold with all of the pro-
ceeds going to the All Beef Club
treasury.
OF course, the club is also
most grateful to the Maryland
National Bank for purchasing
a club members steer and Civ
ing it back so the club got all
the proceeds, Mr.. Lawson King
of King Pontiac, also bought
the steer and gave it back for
the club to sell again. The
proceeds from these steers are
to be used by the club for
sponsoring awards to worthy
club members.
This is a long process for
these All and FLA members as
the job begins with the selec-
ton of a top calf during the
months of October and Novem-
Der.
The boys and girls travel
many miles inspecting many
herds in order to purchase a
calf that meets their strict re-
quirements. These calves should
weight approximately 400 to 500
lbs. The calves are brought
home and held in a small area
where they receive no pasture
at any time. They are given a
limited amount of hay with an
abundant supply of fresh water
and are fed a grain ration be-
ing very high in corn with some
oats, maybe barley, salt and
mineral and sometimes a little
molasses to increase palatibility.
These calves do better on a
ration that is very coarsely
ground. Top quality beef is pro-
duced by the use of plenty of
grain and it is not at all I'M
common for these larger calves
to be consuming 20 pounds
grain per day.
Many long and firing days
are encountered by the approx
imately 300 club members in
preparing the calf for the an
nual show and sale. Club mem
bers have gained many new
experiences because not all of
these calves go through the year
without experiencing some diff
ficulty. These young ambitious
kicking steers have to be tanned
down in order that they might
be friends of the club members.
After this is accomplished the
club member has to see that the
calf is properly groomed each
day as well as teach the animal
to lead in order that it can be
presented to the best advantage
in the show ring.
These boys and girls do not
1ust raise calves to sell - they
really raise them as a project
in order that they may be a
member of the Montgomery
county All Beef Club which
holds IL regular meetings dur
ing the year. Here these club
members learn to run their club
in business-like manner, plan.
ming the club program for the
year, which features speakers
from feed companies, represen.
tatives of Maryland University,
as well as the individual club
m e m b ers presenting the pro-
gram for the evening.
The club is most active in
sponsoring events for the club
members and those clientele
which are related to the beef
industry. They start the year
of with the 4-HBeef Banquet,
followed with two days tours
at which time they visit all pro.
jects of the club members. Here
club members are criticized con
structively in order that they
might be able to improve their
projects.
Also, club members are rated
by a committee of All leaders
as to who is doing the best job
These tours also enable the
newer members to see what the
older experienced members are
doing. The club also sponsors a
field day held during the month
Of May. All members are urged
to bring their animals out and
show them for no prizes at all
This is the day where much
valuable knowledge is obtained
Judges for this field day are