132 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



It is not a matter of sentiment witli tbem, but one of dollars and cents. 

 Now that Dame Fortune is smiling upon the beef producers in this coun- 

 try, we believe there are some valuable lessons which we, as producers 

 of beef in this country, should quickly learn. 



The feeder grows beef for the profit he can get. The consuming of 

 the coarse fodders and grains of the farm, which must otherwise be sold 

 below value, and the manufacture of these products into cash meat prod- 

 ucts and fertilizers for his lands, is a matter of secondary importance. 



As we generally understand it, the steer is profitable when he can be 

 sold for a price sufficient to cover not only the first cost of steer and all 

 cost of feed, whether grown on the farm upon which the steer is fed, or 

 purchased outright, but also to leave a cash margin when all such neces- 

 sary expenses are met, the manure being considered of enough value to 

 cover all expense of feeding said steers. 



Everj' practical feeder, who has kept a careful account of what it 

 costs to produce the gain in weight upon steers coming two years old, 

 knows that he must look for the bulk of his profit in the difference 

 per pound between the buying and selling price, and not in the actual 

 gains made, except as they contribute to putting the animal in condition 

 for the market. 



Anything which would therefore tend to raise the price per pound of 

 the steer when sold in the open market would be of great importance. 



Before we can consider this question intelligently we must know 

 where our steers are to reach the market; whether they are to be 

 slaughtered at some crossroads or country village meat market or in 

 some great packing house, or it may be, exported to grace the table of 

 some English famil3^ 



The home market is not to be despised, but it is not usually the best 

 market — unless we are fortunate enough to live near a large city. 



Our high-class country produce must reach the great centers of popu- 

 lation and wealth to bring us its true value. It is to these markets, 

 then, that we should cater. 



Let us examine briefly some of the conditions of such markets. 



Most of our Michigan fat cattle reach the Detroit and Buffalo mar- 

 kets, and by far the larger per cent reach the Buffalo market. 



The best export steers were selling in Buffalo for from |5.50 to f5.60 

 per hundredweight, while the poorest grades were selling for ^3.90 per 

 hundredweight, a difference of nearly |1.75 per hundred pounds. 



This seems to be a considerable difference, but as a matter of fact the 

 difference is much less than we generally find. 



Now, what makes the difference in price? In comes largely from the 

 difference in type of the fat cattle offered for sale in that market. 



Let us understand just what is meant by type. In the first place, type 

 and breed are not identical. 



A breed refers to a class of animals which are very similar in breed- 

 ing, size and form, and generally in color and markings. They must not 

 only possess these characteristics in common, but also they must have 

 been bred for a long enough time along these fixed lines to be able to 

 transmit their various characteristics to their offspring. 



A type refers to a clafes of animals which have similar form, fleshing 

 characteristics, and other qualities which render them especially adapted 

 for certain purposes, for example, the production of beef, of milk, butter 



