Hoof and Horn, 1885-11-19

shape as to give small assurance of their being better than grades, while some of the individual animals have Tittle more to recommend them than their being black, hornless, and imported. In spite of high ; prices heretofore, or apparent low prices now, there is no doubt that the best of these black cattle have great merit, upon which, like their competitors, they will be judged, bought and sold. The Here Herefords - fords Herefords were almost unknown in America a decade ago, when the bare suggestion of their ever being formidable competitors !in the beef classes was regarded by ninety-nine persons in a hundred as i most ridiculous. They have show n themselves the peer's es any, in the stall on the butcher's block. In price they are held more firmly by their owners than i cattle of any other breeds. They occupy this position not from merits assumed, ; but from desirable qualities thoroughly demonstrated under conditions adverse as well as favorable, and their popularity ; founded on the basis of merit seems per- manently assured- Shorthorn?, the best known and most fully tested of all im improved - proved improved cattle in America, have, as a breed, for years suffered harm from the distorted views entertained by many persons rais raising - ing raising them, who placed color and pedigree above individual excellence, also from the selling to confiding purchasers as rep representatives - resentatives representatives of the breed, thousands of the more unworthy specimens to perpet uate their inferiority, that should have been sent to the shambles. There are weeds in every breed, and if used to prop ogate from, the standard is snre to be ] lowered sooner or later. Notwithstand Notwithstanding - ing Notwithstanding the mistakes of which they have been the victims, the Shorthorn interest is now probably in a more healthy condition than at any time in the past twenty years. Much of this favorable reaction is due to the rivalry and rapid advancement of other breeds towards occupying the fields before supposed to be all its own. The tendency in rearing each of these breeds is constantly toward a higher beef stand standard, - ard, standard, to the economical and profitable at attainment - tainment attainment of which other considerations, such as color, pedigree, and remote crosses w ill be rated but secondary.

The secretary of the treasury recently made a ruling which declares that duty shall be paid on cows, mares, etc., when imported from Mexico by speculators or others not engaged in stock raising. Prior to this animals of this class were admitted free of duty, and should this order be enforced it will result in some benefit to our stockmen. Considerable! traffic in this line is carried on by specu speculators, - lators, speculators, who are enabled to buy cattle in Mexico and ship to our markets with bet better - ter better returns than they can realize by buy buying - ing buying home cattle. It is doubtful, how however, - ever, however, whether this order can be enforced with satisfactory results, as speculator's can evade the law by driving cattle to the line and having them crossed by those entitled to the immunity. Many stockmen of this territory have just reached that welcome stage in their] business that will allow- them to seek a i market lor a portion of their well earned productions. Never having made any ! sales heretofore some of them are natur- ; ally timid irr being initiated into this branch of their business, either for the reason of being unacquainted with the | ways of the commercial world or for a a lack of confidence in dealers in the east. ; Those wishing to dispose of stock have - no rreed to hesitate for these reasons. By reference to another column cattlemen j will learn that the Kansas City Stock Yards company offer all the accommoda-I tions, information and assistance neces necessary - sary necessary for the unacquainted who take stock of any class to that market, while those who wish may sell at the highest market price through the well known commis j sion firm of Andy J. Snider & Co. by simply delivering their stock to them or their agents. No fear of getting the worst of it need be manifest, as these es-: tablishments are managed in such a It- - gitimate manner as to promote business, rather than discourage the stockman.

A correspondent of the American Agri Agriculturist - culturist Agriculturist in discussing the relative merits of the rival beef breeds in an interesting manner calls attention to the changes which have occurred within a quite recent period in the popular estimates and sell selling - ing selling values of cattle of the various beef breeds most common in the great grazing field betw-een the Allegheny mountains and the Pacific. Perhaps the most re remarkable - markable remarkable of these is the introduction, in comparitively large numbers, of the polled Aberdeen, Aligns and Galloway cattle from Scotland, and their wide dis dissemination - semination dissemination at high prices, mainly to ranchmen on the Western prairies; prices w hich at the spring sales of the present year have been considerably cut down. The latter fact is partly accounted for by a determination of many cattle raisers to no longer pay two or three times as much for animals of breeders that here, under existing circumstances, are largely exper experimental, - imental, experimental, as for others of a breed or breeds of a thoroughly demonstrated value under like conditions. This determination is also strengthened and the prices lessened by the pedigree of many of the newly in troduced animals being presented in such

AV hen will the Territorial convention of Arizona stockmen be held, is a ques question - tion question at present exciting considerable at attention - tention attention among slock growers throughout the territory. Nearly a year has elapsed since such a convention was held, and as yet no steps have been taken to provide for such a convention in 1886. The live issues which have arose during 1885 offer ample material for discussion, which will well repay all the time devoted to it. Arizona is fast growing in importance in the estimation of stockmen in New Mexico and Texas, who are beginning to feel the pressure of overcrowded ranges; and but a short time will elapse before the problematical proposition of "cach "caching" - ing" "caching" w ater during the winter for use dur during - ing during the dry season will be definitely solved. It has but to be once satisfac satisfactorily - torily satisfactorily demonstrated that such a scheme is practical, and all the capital necessary to stock and utilize the 50,000 square miles of waterless grazing lands now ly lying - ing lying idle ean be easily obtained.

water was more abundant. Stockmen possessing such springs, or other water supplies as give them such control of tracts of land, are fast beginning to realize the value of their property as the demand for grazing lands increases, and properties which but a few years ago were deemed of little worth, are now held at figures which, although high, are not in the majority of cases unreasonable. Com Combined - bined Combined with the possession of such a loca location, - tion, location, the freedom from contagious dis diseases - eases diseases and heavy losses by inclement win winter - ter winter weather enjoyed by Arizona, no man who possesses the patience and courage to await the natural profits of his labors in the raising of cattle, has any need to fear that the future will bring him a compe competency - tency competency in proportion to his merits. RIVAL BEEF BREEDS.

The idea that the western range coun country - try country is fast being overstocked is an errone erroneous - ous erroneous impression. It is an error to suppose that there has been a very great increase in range cuttle since the tide of specula speculation - tion speculation has set in in that direction. Not Notwithstanding - withstanding Notwithstanding the heavy investments which have been made, and the constant endeavors of large companies to build up big breeding herds, it is an open question whether the sales and losses have not nearly offset the natural increase, and whether the immense swelling of the number of range cattle during the last few years cannot be controverted, it is more attributable to the fact that the range country has lieen stocked with cat cattle - tle cattle from every quarter, than to prolific breeding qualities.

In Mexico, as in the United States, the the truth is beginning to be recognized that public lands are parted with by the state far too easily. An attempt to in investigate - vestigate investigate recent sales by the government has caused great excitement in the Mexi Mexican - can Mexican house of deputies, and popular feel feeling - ing feeling is running high. Among all the gov governmental - ernmental governmental extravagances of American states which have been enacted during the last fifty years none will seem more amazing to posterity than thew Taste of public lands. The United States, Canada and Mexico have been alike prodigal in this respect, and all three countries will some day wonder at the blindness of their past policy in this respect.

ARIZON A THECOUNTRY FORSMALL STOCK GROWERS. Arianna is by virtue oj its topographical peculiarities pre-eminently the poor man's country so far as stock raising is con concerned. - cerned. concerned. The distances between water supply points make the titles of the first locators an almost absolute one to large tracts of grazing lands, which, was water more abundant, would be at the disposal of any one who might care to graze his herds upon it. This fact in itself will serve in a great measure to secure to small owners a comparative immunity from the freezing out processes practiced so extensively by large cattle corpora corporations - tions corporations iu other portions of the union where