FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 305 



The discussion was led by INIr. J. J. Fer-gusou, of the Agricultural College, 

 his subject being *'The Kind and Quality of Stock to Raise for Purposes 

 of Beef production." 



JNIr. Ferguson said, in substance: 



Having recently been called upon to go over certain classes of cattle 

 in the show ring at the ('harleston Exposition and, in addition, having 

 made an extended visit to the International Stock Show at Chicago, I 

 have had a good oi)portunity of comparing Michigan with other States as 

 to resources and as to live stock. 



This State is one of varied resources. In the southern part we have 

 the corn belt proper, while in the northern part of this peninsula, and in 

 the whole of the Upper Peninsula, we have conditions differing widely 

 from those existing in the southern tier. It is necessary, therefore, to 

 adapt ourselves to widely varying demands and to think of our live stock 

 accordingly. 



The ])ast season has been one of abnormally high prices for good, first 

 class, well .fattened beef animals the top price has reached, or gone past, 

 seven cents, while the average price has been uj) to, or exceeded, five 

 cents. There has been no time in the last twenty-five years when the top 

 prices for all grades of beef animals has been better than last month. 

 Swine are sold higher today than at any time in the last thirteen years. 

 So fattened knnbs are selling away above prices realized for several years. 



These facts Justify us in calling attention to the time as one peculiarly 

 auspicious for developing fattening stock. When we come to consider pure 

 breeds we have, again, to record nearly, if not quite, the highest prices on 

 record. Five and six thousand dollars for a single bull have been reached 

 and even seven thousand five hundred dollars for the Shorthorn, Choice 

 Goods. The question arises as to whether the farmers should raise full 

 bloods. My answer would be not unless he has naturally an instinct in 

 that direction which he has had opjiortunity to cultivate. To su<:-ceed 

 in raising pure bloods a man must be able to know by intuition variations 

 in form and expression which are totally masked to the ordinary man. 

 . Better leave the raising of ])ure l)]oods to the few who are willing to take 

 the risk incident to the business and who, perhaps, do not depend upon 

 the precarious profits from this business for the support of a family. The 

 average Michigan farmer will in nine cases out of ten make vastly more 

 money in breeding and feeding animals for the block, using the pure 

 bloods as sires, than he will make from the raising of the pure bloods 

 themselves. 



The southern tier, or possibly three tiers, are the beef and mutton 

 counties of the State. Here corn grows to perfection, and where corn 

 grows best we have the best locality for the production of meat. The 

 dairy, on the other hand, may do as well in sections where corn is not at 

 its best. We should ex])ect, then, in the southern counties a greater 

 tendency toward beef and mutton than we should find farther north. 



On a recent visit to ]Minnesota I listened to a very lively discussion as 

 to the merits of the so called dual purpose cow. In this discussion Prof. 

 Thomas Shaw took an active part, urging the claims of this class of 

 animal. This discussion has been going on for ten years, and yet we have 

 no fixed type for dual purpose animals. It is true that in the case of 

 both our straight bred beef and dairy breeds a certain definite type is at 

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