Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 162, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 July 1916 — WORK DONE BY TWO SUCCESSFOL BREEDERS IS MOST INTERESTING [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WORK DONE BY TWO SUCCESSFOL BREEDERS IS MOST INTERESTING

Result Gained Is Result of Practical, Near-Conservative Methods and Continuous Faith in Live-Stock Husbandry—Silos Are Important Feature of Improvements—Neatness and Order In Farm’s Appearance Is Valuable Asset—Shorthorn Is Favored.

(By Q. H. ALFORD, State Farm DemonII stratlon Agent, Maryland.) i A study of the methods of any successful man or firm has more than a passing interest. The career of Tomson Brothers, Shorthorn breeders, Dover ahd Carbondale, Kan., offers an instructive illustration of success attained along purely practical lines. Spectacular features such as attach to blooded stock breeding operations occasionally, have been few and far between. This has been a steady, even course, for the most part, but continuously in the forward direction. In 1883, their father, T. K. Tomson, a Kansas .pioneer of modest means, purchased • a farm in the Mission Creek valley, a few miles out frota Topeka, the capital city. The farm

had been in the hands of tenants for years. The land was foul, the soil depleted. One field had grown corn for a period of nearly thirty consecutive years and the maximum yield rarely exceeded thirty-five bushels per acre. Mr. Tomson being a stockman by instinct and practice, began a plan of crop rotation and since then all of the crops grown on the farm and a considerable amount purchased from the neighbors, were fed chiefly to cattle on. the farm and the fertilizer spread on the fields. Success With Grasses. Tame grasses, timothy and alfalfa were introduced with increasing success. The field just referred to produced alfalfa for a period of ten years and was then broken up and planted again to corn. The first crop averaged between 90 and 100 bushels per acre. Another field sowed to clover, timothy and blue grass remained unbroken for 21 when it was again planted to corn. The nrst and second crops that followed made a

yield similar to that just mentioned. The practice on this meadow, thiefly from necessity, was to allow the stock to pasture It until near the first of May and again during the fall. This late season pasturing had the effect of scattering the seed from the second growth clover more evenly and tramping it In, Insuring reseeding each year and a uniform distribution Of the fertilizer. If a field, or a portion of it, did not Show a satisfactory yield, the ground was fertilized and V&sses sown and tested until the proper grass or variety Was found. In this Way all of the farming land was brought to a higher state of production. No unusual means were employed to bring thie about, tar the Tomaons are not

much given to experimenting. Possibly the results would have been better if they had, but the point is that only such methods were used as could be readily applied on any farm, by any average man. Best of All Grasses. In Kansas, particularly in the sections more or less broken, the native prairie grass, largely blue stem, is prevalent and is regarded as the best of all grasses in season. It has been the practice to feed more or less tame hay in these native pastures where the grass had become thin and in this way the seed of the several tame varieties was scattered and many thin spots were set to tame grass, bluegrass naturally predominating. This plan resulted in lengthening out the pasture season, for prairie grass is

only available from around May 1 until the first frost In the fall, whereas the tame grasses come earlier and continue later. In the fall of 1887, a neighboring farmer who had bred a superior class of grade Shorthorns made a draft sale and included in the offering a registered Shorthorn cow which he had formerly purchased with a bull calf at foot at a Kansas City sale, with a view to obtaining a cheap herd bull. Mr. Tomson purchased this cow at, slightly above the prevailing prices for grade females and in this selection the foundation of one of the best-known Shorthorn herds in the middle West was laid. Her next calf, a heifer, was of such attractive type and quality that T. K. Tomson and his sons definitely decided to purchase more registered females. A number were secured that year and later a well-known sire, Imp. Thistletop, bred by Amos Cruickshank in Scotland, was placed In service. He was somewhat advanced in years and was there-

fore available at a nominal price. He was kept in service several years. His daughters retained in the breeding herd were large, roomy, well-fleshed cows, a trifle prominent at the hips, but useful breeders. A small advertisement was placed in a standard' agricultural publication in the hope of interesting prospective buyers from outside the local community, a hope that was readily realized. The firm of T. K. Tomson & Sons became widely known under the active management of the junior members, who, in later years, succeeded to the ownership. They added well-bred females from time to time at modest prices, and from the first continually weeded out such as did not prove satisfactory breeders, or that repre-

sen ted blood lines of less desirability. From the first they recognised the Importance of the sire, and their selections have been made with discrimination. In several cases, bulls thft had demonstrated their prepotency in other hands were secured, among them Brampton Knight, whose get in Tomson Brothers* hands were champion winners at the International, American Royal and other prominent Bhows. Tomson-bred cattle, both in the breeding and fat classes, have been champion winners at the International, American Royal, at St. Joseph, Oklahoma City and various state fairs. These facts are mentioned here to show the actual result from the use of good blood and intelligent breeding methods. While the course of economy foil lowed was a safe one, controlled largely by limited finances, yet Tomson Brothers are of the opinion now that they would have made large profits had they invested several thousand dollars in fashionably bred females for breeding purposes earlier in their operations. They did acquire them eventually, but they feel that they lost considerable time by not launching, out earlier. They recognize, however, that the best successes in cattle breeding are made by men who grow with the business from a small beginning and learn each step by actual experience. Basis of Improvement. During these years constant attention has been paid to farming methods. The use of tame grasses and barnyard manure is the basis of their soil improvement. The profits from year to year were invested in land and such improvements as were necessary. The original holdings of 255 acres have increased to 1,100 acres, and the improvements have been greatly enlarged and modernized. The farms have long since been nominally free from weeds. Alfalfa, blue grass clover and timothy now abound in their stead. The soil has steadily increased in producing power. The Shorthorn herd numbers over 200 head of the richest lines of breeding and is recognized among beef cattle authorities as one of the best individual herds in the entire country. This is the direct result of careful, patient, intelligent management and not any considerable expenditure of money. While the breeding herd is of the beef type, the good milking females are given preference, for experience has shown that they are usually more reliable and useful producers. It is generally regarded that hogs should be a part of the farm’s live stock. The Tomson farms are not exactly an exception, for a few are raised each year, but the number is small and experience does not encourage them to increase the number. The farms are devoted almost wholly to Shorthorns, for it has been observed that if there is room for more stock, that more Shorthorns best fit into the working plan. On one of the Tomson farms, the main buildings are in the center of a 620-acre tract. Eight pastures open out /rom the barnyards, a most convenient arrangement. The herd is divided chiefly as to ages in the several pastures, most of which are in view

from the highway. This plan has proven an effective means of advertising and lends an attractiveness to the farm that would otherwise be lacking. The pastures are skirted by native timber, providing ample shade and adding to the beauty of the landscape. Valuable Asset. Neatness and order in the farm’s appearance is regarded as a valuable asset. Silos are an important feature of the improvements. Automobiles are a necessary part of the equipment. The whole achievement is based upon safe, practical methods and the intelligent use of good blood, good seed and crop l- rotation. The farms today have more than doubled the producing power they had twenty years ago. With these methods continued what will the producing value of their acres be in the next twenty years ? The accomplishment of Tomson Brothers is one of the most investing and instructive within our knowledge, considering It is the result of practical, near-conservative methods and a continuous faith in live-stock husbandry. With the improvement of the farm and herd, Tomson Brothers have grown in influence. John R., the senior member, is director and vicepresident of the American Shorthorn Breeders’ association, the strongest organization of Its kind in America. Both he and the Junior member, James G., are recognized as expert cattle judges and their services in this capacity are in demand in leading shows from Chicago to the Paciflo coast. The third member, Frank D., has been conspicuously identified with the agricultural press for a decade and more.

Silos Are an Important Part of Farm Improvements—The Bulls In the Fore* ground Sold for an Average Price of $500.

Problem of Keeping Boys on the Farm Has Its Solution In Such Environment as This.

Grass Is Abundant and So Are Calves.