<■: -,f^-^ 



RAYMOND MOBLEY 

 "H»'ll Carry on the Family Tradition." 



and heifers and the herd sire. Our dis- 

 persal sale brought in more than $18,- 

 000." 



From that nucleous was developed the 

 present herd of 138 head, more than 50 

 of which are breeding cows. 



As we looked at a bunch of blocky 

 yearling heifers, Mr. Mobley remarked 

 that good breeding puts on a natural 

 wealth of flesh. "It's true in any beef 

 breed," he said. "Breeding makes them 

 easy keepers and much more economical 

 producers of flesh from the dollar in- 

 vested in feed. We must use the arts 

 of breeding to cut down the overhead 

 cost of keep." 



The yard full of heifers were like so 

 many peas in a pod. "These heifers were 

 wintered on cornstalk pasture and straw. 

 We started them on silage about two 

 weeks ago. When they're bred right they 

 don't take so much feed to look well!" 



The Mobley herd of purebreds was 

 started in 1904. Angus cattle then were 

 known as black muleys. "Father bought 

 his first registered cattle when I was a 

 child," Dean continued. "We kept select- 

 ing the best breeders and feeders and 

 when we needed a bull we bought the 

 best we could find regardless of the 

 price. That bull over there is Briarcliff 

 Perfection," pointing to a two year old. 

 "He's a grandson of Blackcap Revolu- 

 tion, grand champion at Chicago about 

 1923. Our older herd sire is also a 

 grandson of Blackcap Revolution. We 

 are line breeding." 



Since the dispersal in 1920 the Mob- 

 ley herd has been paying its way — very 

 much so. Since 1922 Mobley has sold 

 off 662 head for the block and breeding 

 purposes for a total of $67,636. This 

 is an average of $102. Since 1930, dur- 

 ing the depression, he sold mostly for 

 breeding purposes and Four H Club feed- 

 ing, 373 head for a total of $36,719. 



Each year the practice is to sell both 

 heifers and bulls at around a year old, 

 and to work oflP a certain percentage of 

 the older cows. 



Farm account records are as much a 

 part of the routine work on Meadow 

 View Farm as feeding the cattle. Books 



DEAN MOBLEY AND Grandson of Blackcap Ravoiution. 



A HANDFUL OF ALFALFA HAY 

 "And how they enjoyed it" 



have been kept for years in co-operation 

 with the State College of Agriculture. 

 The comparative record of financial oper- 

 ations on the home farm of 229 acres 

 is of interest. These records were made 

 despite the depression and crop failures 

 in 1934, '35, and '36. 



"We have consistently made good re- 

 turns on $100 invested in feed to our 

 livestock," Dean said, "we believe that 

 these figures reflect credit on our herd 

 relative to their thrift, prolificacy, and 

 tendency to breed on that natural wealth 

 of flesh. 



"Father always told me to stick to the 

 Angus cattle. He said he made more 

 from Angus cattle and bluegrass than 

 anything else. When the depression 

 came we just about quit raising hogs but 

 we held on to our cattle." 



The three Mobley farms contain ap- 

 proximately 630 acres. There is lots of 

 pasture. The rotated land on the Coopers- 

 town farm is rented out but a large acre- 

 age of bluegrass and wooded pasture is 

 retain for the breeding cows. 



"We nurse it and don't let the cattle 

 grub it out," Mobley said speaking of the 

 blue grass. "It's cheaper to rent pasture 

 than to allow it to be ruined. And when 

 we rent we take all the pasture so our 

 cattle will be kept by themselves. Our 

 herd has always been healthy. We've 



The Mobley D09 "Flash" 

 "Hal A Bite." 



never had a reacter. " 



Last year Mobley and Sons registered 

 87 calves. Only a few herds in the 

 United States registered as many. From 

 50 to 60 calves are registered each year. 

 This past winter the breeding cows 

 were kept in good condition on straw, 

 sileage, and stalks. Beginning about the 

 first of March they were given alfalfa 

 hay. And how they enjoy eating it. The 

 Mobleys feed only legume hay, mostly 

 alfalfa and soy bean hay. "Soybean hay 

 is our best substitute for alfalfa," he 

 said. "We also sow sweet clover as a 

 soil builder and for pasture." 



Dean Mobley has three fine sons, 

 Julius 28, Raymond 27, who takes a keen 

 interest in the cattle, and Billy 20. Mr. 

 Mobley has been president of the Mt. 

 Sterling Co-operative Farmers elevator 

 for many years. He is a charter member 

 of the Brown County Farm Bureau. He 

 has been active in Aberdeen-Angus breed 

 circles. 



Most of our breeding stock goes out to 

 old customers. Dean told us. A moment 

 later we saw the reason why. He takes 

 an interest in the people who buy from 

 him. He tries to get around and visit 

 them occasionally. One of his custom- 

 ers in a neighboring county purchased 

 a cow and calf and a bull in 1931. That 

 modest beginning has developed sub- 

 sequently into a herd of 16 head. "In 

 January, Legate told me his herd this 

 spring would number at least 21 to 22 

 purebreds," he said. 



Dean Mobley is proud of his cattle 

 yet he is modest about his part in devel- 

 oping the herd. "I make so many mis- 

 takes," he said, "that I feel I am not 

 worthy of much consideration." He be- 

 lieves in trying to do worthwhile things, 

 in serving his community, in living a life 

 of real usefulness. A master farmer as 

 well as a master breeder. Dean Mobley 

 is with it all a firm believer in farmers 

 working together for their mutual bene- 

 fit, a supporter of the idea that organized 

 action by farmers is necessary to firmly 

 establish the principals of equality for 

 agriculture and for good government it- 

 self. — Editor. 1 



26 



1. A. A. RECORD 



