64 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



with the , best on the globe. A recent 

 writer says, "The southwest has taken the 

 lead of other states the past year in the 

 introduction of pure breeds of beef cattle. 

 The herders in these states have not al- 

 lowed the price of high-class animals to 

 cut any figure in the matter, for as a rule 

 the higher the price paid the better the 

 animal and the result. These same west- 

 ern men are today beginning to sell to the 

 western farmer their high grade yearlings 

 to mature and fatten for the market. 

 Short horns and Herefords, stockmen say, 

 will make more herders rich during the 

 next ten years than ever did the longhorns 

 in thirty years. " 



After this general review let us resort 

 to a few figures on a business basis. .We 

 will commence with a capital of $3,000,- 

 000, buy your land, cattle, horses, farm- 

 ing implements and everything necessary 

 to carry on successful ranch operations. 

 We will stock our ranch at the outset with 

 12,000 head of graded cattle at the rate of 

 $15 a head. 



On the basis of 90 per cent increase as 

 figured out above year by year the herd 

 in seven years will number 221,655 graded 

 cattle. If we accept the suggestion of 

 our western author, sell our two year old 

 steers and replace them with two year old 

 heifers the herd in seven years will num- 

 ber a great many more. But holding to 

 the 321,655 and even then to provide 

 against all possible contingences and 

 bring the number surely within the line 

 of actual results we discount these figures 

 at the rate of 15 per cent and count 

 188,407 cattle worth $15 a head, just what 

 we paid for the original stock and their 

 cash value will be $2,826.105, or 10 per 

 cent compound interest on our capital. 



Should we determine to stock our ranch 

 with a higher grade of cows they ^ill cost 

 say $30 a head and allowing the increase 

 to be the same the profit will be much 

 greater as the 221,655 cattle discounted at 

 the rate of 15 per cent will give us in this 

 instance, as before 188,407 cattle but the 

 higher grade and greater value per head 



makes the herd now worth $5,652,2 10 or 

 nearly double our orfginal capital in seven 

 years, thus proving our position in the 

 earlier part of this article, that is, the 

 higher the grade the greater the profit. 



Where money is loaned on bond and 

 mortgage at four or five or even six per 

 cent the lender gets his interest and at 

 maturity of the mortgage the principal is 

 returned. In this case the holders of stock 

 in the company gets ten per cent with the 

 medium grade cattle and twenty per cent 

 higher interest with the better grade, 

 while the land in which the capital is 

 largely invested has doubled and threbbled 

 in cash value. 



In my next letter I will write on the 

 productions of the soil, etc. 



WALLACE HARRINGTON, 

 San Antonio, Texas. 



A COW BARN WITH FRAMEWORK OF 

 STEEL. 



Steel for railroad and highway bridges 

 is now the rule rather than the exception. 

 Nearly all of our new modern manufactur- 

 ing plants are also constructed of steel 

 rather than of wood. Steel for the frame- 

 work of ordinary buildings however, has 

 not come into so general use and no doubt 

 the illustrations which we give with this 

 article will be of interest, from the fact 

 that, as we believe, it is the first time in 

 history that a cow barn has been con- 

 structed using a steel frame. 



Figure No. 1 is taken direct from a 

 photograph, and shows the exterior of a 

 cow barn designed and built by us for the 

 State of Connecticut on the grounds of 

 the Hospital for the Insane, at Middle- 

 town, Conn. 



Figure No. 2 shows the plan of the 

 building, the general dimensions of which 

 are 200 feet in length and 47 feet 8 inches 

 in width. For a distance of 101 feet at 

 the north end, the building is two stories 

 in height, the lower or basement floor be- 

 ing used as a root or vegetable cellar. 

 Over this portion of the barn the floor is 

 made of steel beams supporting brick 



