OCR Text |
Show pi'an war anil ihe consequent depletion of the ICuropean supply of cattle, the task of meeting the increasing demands de-mands for beef and beef products, to a large! extent, has been put upon the people of the United States. The exports of dressed beef and beef products have increased 177 per cent' during Ihe last three years. The shortage short-age of beef abroad, like the shortage of other meat products, doubtless will be accentuated as the war progresses. Beef production can be increased in the settled farm areas of the nation, and especially in the South. It can be increased everywhere by preventing the loss of ilesh by calves during their first winter and keeping calves growing grow-ing during this period so that beef animals ani-mals may be marketed at earlier ages, thereby requiring the maintenance of fewer stocker cattle and making possible pos-sible the maintenance of larger breeding breed-ing herds; by using a larger proportion propor-tion of bulls on the range to insure larger calf crops; by using good bulls only ; by reducing the tick-infested areas as rapidly as possible; by eliminating elimi-nating as far as possible the losses from disease and predatory animals; by transferring animals from regions of scarcity of feed to those where there is an abundance of feed ; by providing pro-viding a more ample supply of winter feed and better shelter, and by utilising utilis-ing all roughage produced, either as fodder, hay, or silage, and supplementing supplement-ing these feeds with more nitrogenous concentrates and less grain. Growing Calves for Beef. In order that calves may be qualified for the production of baby beef, that is, fattened and matured for market between one and two years of age, they must have quality and good fiuish. The consumer does, not want the unfinished un-finished yearling, and the alf that does not have quality will not take on a high fiuish. Neither will the calf lacking in early-maturing qualities fatten properly during the latter part of the feeding period, but insiead it will use most of the feed which it consumes con-sumes for growth. The feeder should keep this in mind and first determine whether his calves are good enough to compete on the fat yearling market, and if he decides thftt they are not. they should be finished with coarsa feeds and marketed later. The deep, wide-bodied, thick-fleshed calf with short legs and an abundance of quality as indicated by fineness of hair, texture of skin, smoothness of flesh, and general refinement about the head and other parts of the body, ix the type best suited for making prime baby beef. Uniformity in size, weight and color should not 1 e overlooked either, because such factors are an advantage ad-vantage in marketing. These points are of great importance in selecting calves that will make raid gains and return the most pounds of meat for the amount of feed given them. INCREASE SHOWN IN MEAT ANIMALS ! Federal Reports Give Gains Made in 1917 and Needs of Present Pres-ent Year. MORE MEAT ANIMALS NEEDED Specialists Tell How to Get More Pork arid Beef Exports Have Increased Increas-ed 177 Per Cent During . Past Three Years. Live stock men are on the job. A gratifying increase in the principal prin-cipal classes of live stock during 1917 is reported by David F. Houston, sec-of sec-of agriculture, in a recent statement. The increases reported as for January 1, 1918, on farms and ranges of the United States, according to a revised estimate for 1917, are : Horses, 353,- WAYS TO THE 15 PER J CENT HOG INCREASE. J 5 Pork production, to attain the 15 per cent increase declared needed during 191S, according to the agricultural production pro- J a gram recently announced by the J department of agriculture, -will J be increased economically by J breeding for two litters a year, J by saving thrcugb. better care a J larger numbei of the pigs far- rowed, by growing pasture and J forage crops,, by using wastes, J especially town and city garbage, J by proper rations of concentrat- J ed feeds, by the use of self- feeders, by pasturing alfalfa and a other legumes and other forage J crops, by hogging down grain J sorghums and corn, by finishing hogs to heavier weights, up to J about 275 pounds, and by pre- J ventive measures which will J keep hogs free from cholera, tu- J berculosis, other diseases and J pt rasites. J . 000; n.iiles, 101,000; milk cows, 390,-000; 390,-000; othr cattle, 1,S57,000 ; sheep, 1-28.t,000; 1-28.t,000; swine, 3,871,000. The totil number oi horses is estimated at 2?.,-588,000; 2?.,-588,000; mules, 4,821,000; milk cows. 23.2S4.000; other cattle, 43,546,000; slifcep, 48,900,000; swine, 71,374,000. The increase of 4.5 per cent in numbers num-bers of "other cattle" is due to an increase in-crease of 4.2 per cent in calves, 22.7 pur cent in heifers, a decrease of 3.2 Ofmt in other heifers, a decrease of 3.2 pur cent in steers, and an increase of l. per cent in "other cattle" (milk cows not included). Swine over six months old increased 4:5 per cent; those under six months increased 7.S p:i cent. Vhe number of live stock not on farms, that is, stock in cities and villages, vil-lages, is not estimated yearly, but their number in 1910 as reported by tha census was: Horses, 3,1S3,000; mules, 270,000; cattle, 1,870,000; eneep, 391,000; swine, 1,2SS,000. The census of 1910 also reported 100,000 nnses and burros on farms and 17,000 not on farms; 2,915,000 goats on farms 115,000 not on farms. tu average vabie per head horses inly. in-ly. -used ,$1.39, mules increased .flO.o.l; n.Uk cows increi.sed $10.90, other cat-tip cat-tip increased 4.00; sheep increased J,M9, swine increased S7.7G. t.i total value the increases ae: Horses, !?GG,.'n 9,000: mules, $03,0."1.S.-0 $03,0."1.S.-0 .';; milk cows, $1'78,:J88.000 ; otV.T eii-,Je, $282,431 ,0.)0 ; sheep, 238,3-3,-Di), swine, $599i78,000. ;l"je total value January 1, 1918, jf all Animals enunn rated above was $3,-2'i.l, $3,-2'i.l, 524,000 as compared with $0,735,-31U',000 $0,735,-31U',000 January 1, 1917, an increase of 51,;)27,012,0O0, or 22.7 per cent. How to Get More Beef. The number of beef animals should oe maintained, and in areas where it in dearly the best range and farm practice, should be increased, says the program for agricultural production In 1918 recently made public by tne (Tuited States department of agriculture. agricul-ture. Since the outbreak of the Euro- BILLIONS IN FARM PROD- J J UCTS. ; e The total estimated value of e all farm products, including ani- . s mal products, for 1917 is given , as $19,4 13,S19,3S1 in a recent re- port of the secretary Of agricul- lure. This compares with .$13.- 400,304,011 for 1010 and $9,3SS,- J 705,77!), the five-year a'.'erage for 1910-1914. These valuations are a J based upon the prices rc-. ived " by producers, which -vili apply J to the total output regardless nf whether the prolucls are cull- o snmed on the farms or sobl. J |