CATTLE GENERAL MANAGEMENT. 787 



dred and ten bushels of corn each, worth $38.40, and he esti- 

 mates that five hundred pounds of pork will be made from the 

 droppings, which, at an average price of five dollars a hundred, 

 pays $25, or more than five-eighths of the cost of the corn. 

 The cattle now average sixteen hundred pounds, and are worth 

 $6.50 per hundred, and the profit on this year's feeding he esti- 

 mates at over $50 per head. From two to three years old, each 

 steer consumes an average of one hundred and twenty-five 

 bushels of corn, and gains but six hundred pounds, and the profit 

 this year he estimates at about $19 per head, the cattle now 

 being worth $7 per hundred. 



It will be seen from these figures that if the supply of this 

 quality of cattle was unlimited, a much greater profit could be 

 made by marketing at two years old, as it takes fifteen bushels 

 more corn to make six hundred pounds gain on a steer from 

 two to three years old, than to make nine hundred pounds on 

 the steer from one to two years old. As, however, $19 is a 

 paying profit, and the supply of choice cattle is limited, it pays 

 to keep them over till three years old. These figures show how 

 much is gained by early maturity, and this is the quality of 

 greatest value in our improved breeds of cattle, and it has been 

 proved in thousands of cases that good grades of these improved 

 breeds will be as heavy and ripe for the butcher at two years 

 old as common cattle at three.* 



Perhaps some farmer will criticize these figures and say, 

 "How is it that Mr. Gillett counts with such certainty on $6.50 

 and $7 per hundred for cattle? Is not the price of beef sub- 

 ject to fluctuation like other products?" Yes, my friend, the 

 price of old cows, scrub steers, that weigh from six to nine 

 hundred, stags and " Pennyroyal " stock goes up and down in 

 the market, continually vibrating between $1.75 and $5 per 

 hundred pounds, but smooth, ripe steers, that will average six- 

 teen hundred pounds, vary but little in price, unless it is in a 

 time of great scarcity, and then the price advances, but the 



Since the above was written I understand that Mr. Gillett has determined to 

 market his cattle at two years old, as continued experience has shown him that 

 the greatest profit is found by handling cattle so as to mature them at this age. 



