370 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



four of Devons ou exhibition, besides numerous entries by those who 

 could not show in the herd classes. These were all owned in Michigan, 

 and there were many others in the State which were not represented. 

 These fine herds, which had cost a <;reat deal in hard cash, and more in 

 time and labttr, to build ui>, were iarj^cly broken up. and when, throuj^h 

 chan«;es in requirements of our own peoj)le, and the enlarjjinc: demand 

 from other countries for American cattle and dresscnl beef, th'e business 

 of the f(MMl('r once more became a remunei'ative branch of farming:, it 

 was dinicult lor farmers to secure well bred sires for use on their j^rade 

 cows. Besides this, the herds of cows on most farms had been crossed 

 with bulls of the dairy breeds until they were generally mongrelized, 

 and possessed of no characteristics which suited the man who Avanted 

 good beef-making cattle. The condition of Michigan's cattle stock 

 could be pretty accurately gauged by a study of the Eastfern markets, 

 to which they were generally shipped, as they actually stood at the 

 bottom of the list. So long as beef-making was an unprofitable busi- 

 ness, this did not matter much, but for the past three years it has cut 

 off thousands of dollars from the incomes of farmers who were feed- 

 ing a certain number of cattle every year. To get feeders of any quality 

 the}" had to rely upon the Chicago market, to which the west was send- 

 ing in thousands of very fair cattle, but in thin flesh. The best lots of 

 cattle sent to market from this State have generally been from these 

 western stockers. This year some really choice cattle have been sent 

 in to the Detroit and Buffalo markets, which were bred and fed within 

 the State, and which sold near the extreme top of the market. They 

 were the first arrivals of what will soon be a regular supply of high- 

 class cattle from the farms of this State. At present the breeds favored 

 by those who make a business of feeding cattle, are the Shorthorn, the 

 Hereford and the Galloways, with the first named far in the lead in 

 numbers. This, we think, comes from two causes: the former popular- 

 ity and wide acquaintance with Shorthorns for the thirty years ending 

 with 1890, during which time nearly all the im])roved cattle on the 

 farms of the State carried more or less blood pf the Shorthorn. The 

 other reason is that the milking quality was quite a pronounced feature 

 in the earlier Shorthorns brought into the State, which gave them a 

 high value with those farmers w^ho were jiiore or less interested in 

 dairying as a side issue. No one can truthfully dispute the ability of 

 the Hereford or the Scotch Polled breeds to grow beef cheaply and of 

 the highest quality. Their record in the western states and on the 

 range prove this beyond question. But the fact remains, that even 

 when fine herds of these breeds w'ere owned in Michigan, their 

 owners had to depend upon the w^est and those who wished to start 

 pure bred herds, for an outlet for their surplus. The average farmer 

 ■clung to the Shorthorn. In the renaissance of beef production in the 

 State the Shorthorn is meeting with the most favor, with the Red Polls, 

 Herefords and Galloways standing in the order named. 



So much for the beef breeds. In what condition are the dairy herds? 

 From a practical standpoint the dairy herds on Michigan farms are 

 really in better shape than ever before. It is true there is not as active 

 a demand for pure bred animals of the dairy breeds as when everyone 

 was anxious to change from beef-making to dairying; but most farmers 

 who make dairying a leading feature in their business are satisfied that 



