Show i e Livestock T i Ty ll UL 11 CS ir r ir t W- W Los Angeles March The 15 15 The best minds of agriculture have for many years ears been attempting to solve the troubles that seem to beset those en- en engaged engaged en engaged in agriculture There has been more or less idle yet talk talk yet the fact that agriculture is in need of re- re relief relief re relief lief is a matter matter beyond question The editor ofa of a western newspaper comes forth with the thought that the key to the puzzle is likely to be found so simple that it would have come long ago if we had not lost ourselves in the woods trying to find finda a tree He then goes on to point out that agriculture as es a whole has bas never been satisfactory unless the live livestock livestock livestock stock business was profitable and that the present tendency towards agricultural recovery was not notice notice- noticeable noticeable noticeable able until values of live stock had reached higher levels As a ma matter er of fact Western agri agri- agriculture agri- agri agriculture agriculture culture and Western business depend to a great extent on the prosperity of the live stock business Live stock Has s always been and probably alwa always will be the best means of marketing our grain and forage crops and with with- without without without out that means of transportation and marketing the farmer must resort to artificial methods of disposition of his crops resulting in the end in a substantial decrease in his income hence n his purchasing power An important feature in this connection lies in the fact that off grade hay hayand hayand hayand and grain may mAJo be utilized to the be best advantage when fed to livo live stock whereas if sold on the market a ma- ma ma material inthe reduction would be made in the price Even the cotton farmer depends to a great extent upon the stock man because cottonseed cake and meal constitute important live livestock livestock livestock stock feeds and these products by-products by have much to dovith do with making cotton production profitable We can go on almost without end pointing out the connection between live livo stock and profitable crop production tion either as the most available means of main main- maintaining soil fertility or the best bost way to market our crops stockis Then too a scarcity of live livo stock is ia likely to encourage the use uso of land for agricultural crops coming in di- di direct direct di direct com competition with land already devoted producing to that purpose and Jn ing enough to meet all practical needs In many casos cases the land is not suited to lo anything thing but with the result re- re result re result sult that it produces a low grade grado pro pro- duct product sold however in competition corn with the tho better quality and reducing ing the price levels all along the line When it is generally realized that live Jive stock production occupies an important place in the agricultural setup t there ere is little doubt that con con- conditions conditions con conditions may become more stabilized There is too much ofa of a disposition in the Western areas to specialize in certain crops Too many land own own- owners owners owners planting ers hope to make a killing by plant plant- ing a specialty crop which has a limited market resulting in over over- overproduction overproduction overproduction production and the inevitable price slump When we begin to recognize that agriculture is a select select- selecting selecting selecting ing and continuing to produce on certain certain tarn tain lands adapted to such use use a commodity for which there is a con con- constant constant con constant stant demand we will then begin to stabilize Our whole business structure is based upon the law of average so that the in and outer and the fellow who seeks the highest prevailing price on ona ona ona a specialized commodity is in most cases courting disaster as well as disturbing our whole scheme of pro pro- pro production and distribution When it s understood that cattle hogs and sheep offer a practical means of soil fertility and farm diversification then agriculture as a whole may be- be become become be become come more profitable Farm relief would mould seem to lie in producing stable crops and and in producing quality pro pro- pro I ducts products Poor quality foods whether w we refer to meat fruits or what not are are always the hardest to sell Live Livestock Livestock Livestock stock on the smaller farms will pro pro- provide provide pro provide vide the fertilization which will do much t towards wards producing such quality products Then too a section which is im- im importing importing im importing porting large amounts of a staple commodity which can just as well be I grOv grown l at home is creating a great economic waste For instance the importation of millions of dollars I worth of hogs and pork products from the Middle West is economically unsound un- un unsound un unsound sound when there is plenty of feed and plenty of room room for the growing and feeding of ho hogs s on the Pacific Coast with the tho most favorable clim clim- climate dim dim- dimate climate ate conditions Farm relief undoubtedly will come only when agriculture takes stock of itself The government can help through the dissemination of re- re reliable reliable re reliable liable crop and market information and through valuable aid in teach teach- teaching teaching teaching ing us to grow better products Live Livestock Livestock sto stock k production and feeding is im- im important important im important to the average agriculturist because it is a means of cash income the year around instead of cashing in only once a year as in the case with most farm ann crops |