No. 4.] BEEF PRODUCTION IN NEW ENGLAND. 69 



this matter is presented elsewliere in this volume it is desired 

 simply to call attention to the matter here. 



Good pastures and the richer and more varied foods of a 

 tillage rotation of higher farming are prerequisites to the 

 successful introduction of the good steer and his early 

 maturity. 



Without the good steer early matured profitable beef 

 raising in the east is utterly hopeless. Indeed, all else right, 

 failure is sure without a good steer and early maturity. 



The Good Steer. 



In experiments made by the writer with several breeds of 

 beef types and with typical scrub steers it was shown that a 

 pound of food made similar growths for the several breeds 

 and scrubs. Since then these results have been confirmed. 

 But breed does not go in wholly at the mouth, for tj'pe is 

 not made b}^ food but by blood or inheritance. Type deter- 

 mines market prices, everything else being equal. 



A good steer must have form, — deep and broad in the 

 twist or thighs, thick through the crops or behind the fore 

 shoulders, broad across the loins, well sprung ribs and 

 straight round barrel. A Jersey or dairy type of steer, 

 with flat ribs, sharp, thin shoulders, thin crooked thighs and 

 narrow loins will not sell within from 1 to 3 cents as much 

 per pound as the beef type. The one carries a large ratio 

 of high-priced meat, the other of low-priced meat. In the 

 one case a 1,500-pound steer will bring, when rightly fed, 

 $105 to $120 on present markets if perfected. The same 

 weight in the dairy type would not bring more than $80 to 

 $90. 



The Iowa Experiment Station fatted steers and submitted 

 them to the judgment of Chicago experts, who gave them 

 careful investigation. At that time cattle were lower, and 

 the beef showing best quality was rated at $6.12% per 

 100 pounds live weight, while the Jersey beef was adjudged 

 worth $4.50 per 100 pounds. The former amount is 46 per 

 cent more than the latter. This is a fatal difference. Other 

 stations have shown a great difference in favor of the beef 

 types. The Kansas station on one Jersey against one or 



