State Convention—Grass is King. 
411 
not compete with Texas in raising cattle. We must raise some¬ 
thing that they don’t produce there. If we raise cattle we must 
raise the very best quality. We must not raise three-or-four-cents-a- 
pound beef ive must raise number one beef. I claim that sheep, 
take them one year with another, pay me better than aay other 
stock. I sold three hundred and eighty sheep this week; they 
brought me about $2,100. That was not a very high price for the 
sheep, at the same time they have paid me well for all the grain 
they have eaten. They consumed, and converted all my rough fod¬ 
der into good manure, and I feel satisfied that if my greenback-pile 
is not very large, that my manure-pile is a very large one, and of a 
good quality. 
Mr. Graves: I would say one word respecting alsike clover. 
There was a man in our neighborhood some years ago, brought in 
quite a quantity of it; it proved a failure; it fell down and became 
perfectly matted; it is most excellent grass; it is fine for pastur¬ 
ing; for hay it is very poor. I would say, further, that I have 
been much in favor, and have adopted the plan of raising grass and 
stock. I have not raised any wheat for ten years to amount to 
anything; I saw that it didn’t pay; I turned my attention more to 
hay, grass, and stock, especially sheep. I think that sheep pay the 
best of any stock that we have, taking into consideration the 
amount of labor. I think farmers ought to turn their attention 
to raising stock. If they would raise sheep and cattle they would 
be much better off in the end. 
Mr. Adams: I didn’t hear the paper which was read in your 
hearing, but I heard some of the remarks that were made. It 
seems to me that Mr. Orledge, in relation to the situation of farm¬ 
ers in this western country, attributed their condition to the wrong 
cause. I believe there is some over-production, at the same time 
that is not what causes the financial distress that prevails among 
the farming community. The mistake is simply this, they have 
adopted what I call the American system of doing business. They 
have gone deeply into debt, carrying a burden which will require a 
life-time to shake off. Another point relative to retaining our sons 
at home. My idea is, that every person should follow his own in¬ 
clinations in selecting a pursuit. We all know that our children, 
as they reach maturity, scatter according to their inclinations. I 
would not have it otherwise. The farmers will never lack num- 
