17 



cattle of the dairy type, and at the same time the development of 

 agriculture will facilitate the finishing of a larger proportion of 

 feeding cattle on western farms. Certain sections of the corn 

 belt, and some farms in all sections, are partially or wholly un- 

 suited to grain growing, and these lands, in many instances, may 

 be most profitably used for grazing purposes. 



With the development of more intensive farming methods, 

 the introduction of corn silage, alfalfa, and forage crops in gen- 

 eral will tend to render both cattle raising and feeding more prac- 

 ticable and profitable. Also, regardless of the price of land or of 

 grain, a considerable amount of roughage and aftermath remains 

 to be either fed or wasted on every farm, and this factor will con- 

 tribute largely toward maintaining beef production in the corn 

 belt. 



Eventually, manure will be regarded more highly by corn 

 growers in the Middle West than it is now. Long continued crop- 

 ping without adequate rotation and fertilization will ultimately 

 compel such attention to manure as it now receives from cattle 

 feeders, not only in Great Britain and Continental Europe, but 

 also in certain parts of Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Cattle 

 feeding will be found to be one of the most convenient and satis- 

 factory means of obtaining this valuable fertilizer. This factor 

 is of sufficient importance to be treated at some length in a sub- 

 sequent circular. 



Over against what has been said in the foregoing paragraphs, 

 it must also be clearly understood that a remunerative and rea- 

 sonably stable market will be indispensable to the further 

 development of the beef-cattle industry^ Farming in gen- 

 eral, and stock raising in particular, must henceforth be recog- 

 nized as a capitalized business, the products of which must sell 

 above the cost of production in order to render the enterprise 

 profitable. Those upon whom the cattle feeder is dependent for his 

 returns must consider the increasing cost of producing cattle un- 

 der present and future conditions, and pay prices commensurate 

 therewith. Unfortunately, the cattle feeder frequently has been 

 compelled to accept very inadequate returns, and seldom has his 

 profit been in full proportion to his outlay if all elements of cost 

 be figured at their just value. 



lu The important fact connected with the cattle-raising in- 

 dustry is a marked shortage, the extent and far reaching effects 



