DOES THE FARM VAX. 195 



simply a great and almost boundless cattle pasture to-da}'. It 

 would be cncoaraging if it stopped there, but there is W^'oming, 

 Colorado, the Indian Territory, Arizona, New Mexico and Texa«!, 

 whose farming facilities are better adapted to the growing of cattle 

 at present than anything else. Hence we find that the production 

 of beef exceeds the consumption. And there is no remedy for us — 

 there is nothing we can do but to let it find its own level. In the 

 far off future when the boundless territory becomes as thickly set- 

 tled as the State of Ohio, representing three million population and 

 making a home market for their own productions, then their beef 

 and also other farm products will bring a better price in the East. 

 But our lives are too short to see that day. I do not mean that 

 there will not be fluctuations in the price of beef, but I think that 

 the price is doomed to run low, on an average, in the future. This 

 is rather a discouraging outlook, but I believe in putting things as 

 they are. 



What are we going to do about it? Are we going to give up the 

 ship and let it sink ? I say no, but tack it and keep on tacking 

 until we get it pointed in the direction to conform with our con- 

 ditions and circumstances. 



We must admit that our ha}' crop is the most important and 

 valuable crop grown in the State and whatever tends to reduce the 

 feeding value of this crop to our domestic animals is really detri- 

 mental to our agricultural interests, because it reduces the profit of 

 the farm, and influences the farmers to look more closely after the 

 selling value of this crop. If the selling value exceeds the feeding 

 value then the farmer sells his hay without recognizing the fact that 

 year by year he will become more and more dependent upon the 

 commercial fertilizer dealer, who, my friends, is a gentleman I don't 

 wish to become wholly dependent upon just j-et. Now, what is our 

 remedy ? 



In order to demonstrate this I will give you an experiment, that 

 I have just closed, which was the feeding of a pair of steers and a 

 pair of cows. Time 150 days. Cost of grain during trial $37.50 

 for steers ; cost for cows the same. Cost for hay, three tons for 

 steers, $18.00; cost for hay for cows the same. Steers gained in 

 live weight 635 pounds ; cows gave 23 quarts of milk per day on 

 an average, or 3450 qts. valued at 4 cents, $138,00 less the cost of 

 keep $55.50, leaves a net profit of $83.50. Beef 635 pounds live 

 weightat $4.00, gives $25.40 ; Cost of keep, $55.50, a loss of $30.10. 



