130 THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF CATTLE 



beyond calfhood are able to turn rough and unmarket- 

 able foods to good account, better than almost any other 

 class of stock kept upon the farm. Every time that a 

 growing animal is sent by rail, the cost of transit comes 

 from those who grow or feed the cattle subsequently. 



No good reasons, apparently, can be given against the 

 establishment of what are known as market days in all 

 centers where many cattle are grown. These may be 

 held in all such centers semi-monthly, monthly, or bi- 

 monthly. They bring buyer and seller together, and 

 should aid greatly in the sale and purchase of animals 

 for feeding as well as in the sale and purchase of many 

 other classes of live stock. In some such centers those 

 market fair days have been maintained for years. Why 

 should they not be so maintained in all such centers? 



In numerous instances large feeders draw their sup- 

 plies for the feed lots from the range or semi-range 

 country. More commonly these are purchased from 

 some stockyard center, but where extensive feeding is 

 to be conducted they may sometimes be more conven- 

 iently purchased in the range country. One objection 

 to feeding range steers is their wildness, a result of the 

 conditions under which they have been reared. Because 

 of this, animals reared under semi-range conditions are 

 to be preferred, other things being equal. The food 

 v.'hich is given to them in the winter renders them more 

 docile than stocks which practically rustle for them- 

 selves on the open range. Docility in the feed stable 

 or lot is of much practical advantage. It is usually 

 found most perfect in degree in animals that are reared 

 upon the farm where also they are finished. It is true, 

 nevertheless, that the average animal bred on the range 

 is superior in breeding to the average animal bred on 

 the arable farm, as more care has been exercised when 

 selecting sires for the range. 



The age at whicli to purchase must be determined 

 by the conditions and also the season of the year when 



