THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART II. 63 



It is not my intention to dwell on the production of live stock in 

 general as I have been asked to* discuss a few features pertaining to the 

 economical production of beef. In the past no branch of live stock, save 

 the fat hog, has been so generally handled throughout this state as has 

 beef cattle. Iowa's natural conditions have been most favorable and 

 have done much towards making her the greatest breeding and feeding 

 center of the central west. Her virgin soil was so well adapted to the 

 production of corn and the growth of blue grass pasture, the two things 

 which, when combined, have no equal for economical production of beef 

 of the very best quality. Then she is situated between the range terri- 

 tory, where so many cattle are grown, and the leading cattle market of 

 the world. These conditions have been of untold value to the Iowa 

 farmer. Notwithstanding these advantages, in many sections of this 

 state farmers who formerly reared and fed cattle for the market are 

 no longer engaged in the business. They claim that with land selling 

 in the neighborhood of one hundred dollars per acre that it is too valu- 

 able to carry stock on. When land was cheap they reared their own 

 cattle, when land advanced in price to fifty or sixty dollars per acre 

 they changed their business and became cattle feeders, but now, since 

 land has made such marked advances in value, they are compelled to go 

 ■out of the business. We are glad to note, however, that we have a great 

 many very successful beef producers. Men who reared cattle when land 

 was cheap, when land advanced and who are still successfully and prof- 

 itably rearing and finishing cattle which, when consigned to market, 

 a i ways command the very top prices. 



We have had and are likely to have for some time to come two 

 •classes of men engaged in the beef cattle business. The first class, 

 which at one time was much the larger of the two, might be called the 

 'beef grower."' He reared his own calves, fed and finisned them for 

 the market. To the second class belong that now large number who 

 might be termed "cattle feeders." They do not pretend to rear their 

 own cattle as during a part of the year they have no cattle whatever 

 ■on the farm. They buy their feeders from the ranges or from the small 

 farmer who rears a few calves each year. 



One of the most vital problems which many a farmer has to solve 

 .at the present day is where he should classify. Will he be a beef grower 

 or a cattle feeder? At the present day and under existing conditions 

 there is room for both. Where good judgment and common sense busi- 

 ness methods are applied a man can make a success of either method. 

 Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. The man who 

 rears his own cattle can control the quality of the animals he feeds. On 

 the other hand he must force them from the day they are dropped until 

 ready for the butcher if he hopes to realize a profit on our present high 

 priced lands. He has a herd of breeding cows to feed and care for the 

 year round. Can he afford to keep and feed a cow for the calf alone? 

 It takes a good calf to bring twenty-five or thirty dollars at weaning 1 

 lime, while at the present prices of feed stuffs it will cost at least thirty 

 dollars per year to feed a cow. This looks like a losing proposition and 



