FARMER'S CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK 



These difficulties have been overcome 

 as they arose and it is therefore unnec- 

 essary to consider them further. They 

 should remind us again of our debt of 

 gratitude to the men who have given us 

 our modern wonderfully perfect farm 

 animals. 



A farm without live stock is an in- 

 complete idea. Fields of alfalfa, clover, 

 rice, sugar cane, cotton ; orchards of cher- 

 ries, peaches and oranges may be beauti- 

 ful, but they soon become tiresome to the 

 eye if no farm animals are in sight. 

 The well-sodded, green pasture support- 

 ings cows, sheep, goats and horses is re- 

 quired to round out the idea of farm or 

 homestead. 



Not only from an artistic standpoint 

 is home incomplete without animals, but 

 also from a business standpoint. It is 

 impossible to sell all crops as such to the 

 greatest advantage. Without farm ani- 

 mals there is always considerable waste 

 on the farm. Small undersized potatoes 

 must be thrown away. Turnips, ruta- 

 bagas, carrots, cabbage, cull apples, etc., 

 are allowed to rot and become a total loss. 

 Animals manufacture meat, milk, wool 

 and eggs from this unsalable material. 

 Hogs will root out and eat all potatoes 

 that may have been missed in digging. 

 They will also harvest other root crops 

 and will pick up a good living from the 

 shattered grain left on the ground after 

 harvest. Sheep clean the weeds out of 

 fence corners better than hired help. 

 All this work is done without expense, 

 and much material which otherwise 

 would be lost is utilized. 



There is another practical point worth 

 bearing in mind. Farm crops are bulky 

 and require much time and labor for 

 transportation to market. Moreover, 

 they are in a comparatively raw, crude 

 condition. In the finished product 

 (meat, milk, eggs, wool, etc.) the crops 

 bring more and are more easily marketed. 

 Many farmers keep their men and teams 

 busy all fall and winter long hauling hay 

 and corn to market. The same hay and 

 corn could be made into beef and pork 

 on the farm and marketed in a day. 

 This allows the men and teams as well as 

 the farmer himself to remain on the 

 farm and attend to their proper business. 

 The fences need repairing, a few broken 

 hinges are to be replaced and definite 

 plans must be made for the next year's 

 work. The whole farm should be care- 

 fully mapped and crops assigned to each 

 field for a period of five years in advance. 

 Such plans require thoughtful attention 



each year. It is good work for the fire- 

 side in winter and serves to keep the 

 farmer at home rather than constantly 

 on the road between the farm and town. 



Farm animals contribute much to 

 the national wealth. We usually think 

 of factories and mines as the real foun- 

 dation of commerce but these are of sec- 

 ondary importance as compared with 

 farming. In 1905 agricultural produc- 

 tion in the United States amounted to 

 $6,000,000,000. A large part of this was 

 animal products. The present value of 

 our horses is $1,200,000,000; of our 

 mules, $251,000,000; of our dairy cows, 

 $482,000,000; of our beef cattle, $662,000, 

 000; of our sheep, $130,000,000; of our 

 hogs, $283,000,000. These are almost un- 

 thinkable values and show how farm ani- 

 mals are the basis of our national great- 

 ness. 



This is no place or occasion to set 

 forth the importance of meat in the 

 human diet. This is too well known by 

 the millions who eat it. A corner on 

 meat causes unspeakable anxiety and 

 even panic among the people. The work- 

 ing man must have meat. Without go- 

 ing into the merits of the vegetarian 

 controversy meat is indispensable for 

 most of us if we are to remain capable 

 of normal work. 



Then, as already indicated, the arti- 

 cles of clothing and manufacture fur- 

 nished by animals are beyond number. 

 Our debt to animals is large but we 

 must make it still larger by greater ani- 

 mal production. 



Qualifications of a stock farmer — 

 For success at live stock raising one 

 must put all his time, energy and thought 

 into the business. This is no more than 

 must be said for any other business. 

 Without attention animals do not make 

 profit for their owners. We cannot get 

 something for nothing from farm ani- 

 mals. Special education, skill, common 

 sense count for just as much in stock 

 raising as in banking. The time has 

 passed when the man who does not know 

 enough to do anything else can make 

 success of stock farming. A good gen- 

 eral education is required and also ex- 

 tensive special training, particularly in 

 chemistry and biology. The stock raiser 

 must know the laws of heredity, the 

 principles of breeding, animal physiology, 

 the nature and treatment of diseases and 

 practical hygiene. This involves some 

 engineering skill in providing water sup- 

 ply and drainage. Then he must know 



