680 Transactions of the 



appropriate the residue to fattening your stock, in such numbers only 

 as 3*ou can do justice to, and be in the market ready to meet such de- 

 mands as may be made to supply the requirements of the lower country 

 markets? When, during any past Fall and Winter for several years 

 back, have purchasers of beef cattle failed to come among us? Per- 

 haps you are apprehensive that you may stock the market in one sea- 

 son, and that your fatted cattle, after consuming your provender, may 

 remain on your hands. That would imply that the consumption of beef,, 

 in your estimation, would either cease altogether, or else be diminished 

 to that extent as to make the fattening of cattle for beef unprofitable. 

 Whether such a conclusion is wise or otherwise, I leave for your own 

 determination. In my judgment, here is wherein lies the misfortune in 

 this matter; but few of our farmers seem to have exercised judgment in 

 pursuing the course suggested, and there is too great a tendency to de- 

 mand exorbitant prices for the commodity, instead of disposing of it at 

 such prices as enable them to realize a fair return for the investment 

 emplo}~ed for fitting it for market; hence the result is, that purchasers 

 seek other markets, and this county, instead of becoming what it might 

 be reall} 7 made, one of the largest market grounds for the sale of beef 

 cattle, is allowed to drift into bankruptcy for the want of the exercise 

 of a proper judgment in not engaging in this, amongst others, of the in- 

 dustrial pursuits that maj T be properly followed. 



Perhaps at this particular time there is, and for a while back there 

 has been, but a limited demand for beef cattle. This is no doubt owing 

 to the fact that in the lower countiy, where the so-called "no fence" 

 law prevails, the owners of stock being compelled to take care of by 

 herding their cattle, have found that a continuance in the business of 

 stock raising will not be profitable in the future, and are offering their 

 stocks as beef at such low rates in order to rid themselves of them, and 

 quit the business, as induces dealers to invest, for the time being, below; 

 but this trade cannot, in the nature of things, last long, and the}' will be 

 compelled to look elsewhere for supplies. This delay will only enable 

 you, by proper management, to meet the demand, and will doubtless 

 inure ultimately to your advantage. The real trouble is that you own 

 too muchot' this kind of stock, and you have labored under the erroneous 

 idea that the more stock 3-011 owned the better off }"ou were pecuniarily, 

 when in truth and in fact the more stock }'ou own, over and above what 

 you can feed and properly care for, only renders you poorer, for the 

 reason that it only increases your taxes, is too poor for sale, and finally 

 dies on your hands from starvation. 



There is another species of property owned b} T some of you, and which 

 has been and always will be a curse to any county where it is owned — 

 and that is the breed of Cay use horses. Perhaps no one is willing to 

 admit that he owns any of that kind of stock, and therefore the large 

 bands of them to be seen on all the stock ranges in the county are with- 

 out owners; 3'et, let some one undertake to confer a benefit to the 

 county by riding off one of them, and see how quickly the services of 

 the Grand Juiy will be brought into requisition — for the Legislature of 

 this State, in their wisdom, did not see the advantage that would result 

 in excepting Cay use horses when they made it a crime punishable by 

 imprisonment in the State Prison to steal a horse! And yet of what 

 benefit are they? Too small and trifling to be put to any kind of work, 

 they cannot be salable, and yet they are allowed to increase ; yea, 

 multiply; to eat out the range, and thereby drive out stock which might 

 be made profitable if you were only allowed the use of the range to raise 



