April, '19] COST OF RAISING BEEF CATTLE. 15 



Beef cattle can in no sense compete with dairying where the 

 latter is successfully operated, especially on small farms. Where 

 dairying is not feasible because of labor difhculties, inaccessibility 

 of markets for milk, or for other reasons, beef cattle may be a 

 means of marketing farm products and at the same time con- 

 tribute towards retaining soil fertility. The small farmer whose 

 main asset is a pair of strong hands and an instinct of thrift and 

 whose main handicap is in lack of acreage and working capital 

 wants quick returns. Beef cattle breeding on a small scale is a 

 slow way of turning out profits and that fact in itself makes the 

 venture somewhat less certain of profits. 



Many farms in New Hampshire are owned and operated by 

 men who live in the city and who cannot pay daily visits to super- 

 vise the work. Unless they have experienced, skillful managers, 

 dairying is entirely out of the question. Under such conditions 

 beef cattle present many advantages. It is much easier for the 

 owner to attend to the general guidance of the business at a dis- 

 tance and by infrequent visits. In other words, general super- 

 vision is not so exacting and consumes less time as the daily 

 round of duties demand less skill and labor. The fact that they 

 also demand less expensive equipment may be an additional 

 inducement in favoring beef. 



Large farms that have a considerable acreage in pasture and 

 hay land, especially if located at some distance from railroads, 

 would probably meet these conditions best. In fact, many such 

 farms would probably be well suited to breeding or raising beef 

 cattle. It is not probable that small farms in New Hampshire 

 can breed beef cattle at a sufficient profit, though with cheap hay 

 on hand and some surplus pasture they could pick up a few cattle 

 now and then and grow them to a marketable age for the benefit 

 of their purse as well as their soil. 



