librarian
Well-known member
I was looking at this picture of Maxwalton Stamp 2nd, thinking he was pretty great even if they airbrushed his shoulders so smooth.
The picture was right in the middle of this "interview". I don't think Tom Clark is real because never has anyone just come out with this information to a visitor. In real life they just say about two words and look amused while you get interested in one animal or another...
Anyway, it's way long, but if you are like me..just dumb and trying to catch up, it's worth the read.
Written by the Editor for the Nebraska Farmer
We happened in at Tom Clark's place not long ago. Tom has been in the cattle business a long time. He has made a great deal of money by just staying on the job and growing a class of cattle that returned fairly liberal profits. Tom studies his business closely. We don't mean that he lies awake nights worrying about it. Tom is a good sleeper when he “hits the hay," but he is a close observer. He generally sees what he is looking at. He is a man of rather quick and always dependable judgment. One isn't apt to spend an hour two with Tom Clark without learning something. He has a way of saying things that makes the points clear. Another thing that has always impressed us is his apparent knowledge of his own business. There isn't very much pertaining to his operations that gets by him without notice. He is just deliberate enough when you are visiting him to be comfortable and his references to the subjects under discussion are pointed enough to hold your attention.
As we drove into his yard that day. he was just starting for a nearby pasture with a. couple of men to look through the cattle and we were invited to go along. Tom keeps a good herd and he keeps them in good condition. as far as practicable. As we strolled among the cattle, commenting on this one and that, one of the visitors commented favorably on a. certain cow. in this wise: “Mr. Clark, that is a wonderful cow! What a lot of flesh she carries! She must be about the best one you have."
Tom was smoking a cigar, which he removed from his mouth and deliberately knocked the ashes off and then puffed on it once or twice to see that the spark of comfort was still there, and remarked, “She‘s the biggest cow I've got." Then another puff on the cigar. “But she comes a long way from being the best one."
“Why, she looks to me 'like a fine animal. Of course, I’m not an expert judge, but she certainly looks like the goods to me," said the visitor.
Torn took another puff or two. "Yes, she probably does look it to one who doesn't know the cattle business from experience. If you notice her closely, and you don't have to strain your eyes to see it either, she's uneven. Her back isn't straight and her sides are more or less ‘rolly,’ like the side of a range of hills. That don’t look good to me. They don’t pay you anything extra at the market for that kind of finish. There‘s a little cow over there that isn't so large, and just now, because she's nursing a calf, she doesn‘t look as attractive to the average man, but she's worth about six of that other cow from a business point of view. Thin as she is, you can see that her lines are fairly level and you can see that her form inclines to smoothness. Take hold of her hide and you’ll notice that it is pliable—‘meliow,’ we call it—and her hair has a sort of gloss that indicates that she’s naturally thrifty.
"There's another thing. She brings a calf regularly and you can judge by looking at her udder that she takes pretty good care of her calves. This other cow is an irregular breeder- She's not the kind you can depend on, one year with another. I got her with a bunch of cattle I bought recently. I’ve known her for a long time. You can bet she’ll not stay long in this pasture. She‘s on her way to market now—but she doesn‘t know it.
“Let me show you a cow that comes pretty near filling my eye. It's this roan one over here, and I just want to go over her a. little to call your attention to the points that have to do with the making of a good animal. In the first place, notice she has a feminine head. clean cut, with a very prominent eye and a wide nostril. Her horns, you see, are nicely turned and have a texture that suggests good breeding. Anyone who knows anything much about cattle would expect, just from the appearance of this row, that she would be a good producer. She has a ladylike appearance. Her neck is well set, indicating good style. You notice that her shoulders are what we call well laid; that is, they are smooth and if you run your hand over them you will see that there is a covering of flesh there. When you are looking for a choice cow, this is one of the first features that you will notice- Her brisket, you see. is reasonably prominent, yet there isn‘t any surplus there. It's funny how a lot of folks seem to think that if the brisket projects well forward and is well rounded that it is the evidence of merit. Well, there isn‘t much to it, except that plenty of width and enough fullness forward indicate room for the lungs, which is important because that indicates a rugged constitution. There, stand in front of her and you will see that there is plenty of width between her front legs which gives ample room for the lungs."
"But you said something about large nostrils that I didn't understand," spoke up the visitor.
"Yes." said Tom, "the large nostrils are important because they make room for an ample intake of air which goes a long way toward good health in an animal, Any time you are looking through a herd of cattle just notice that. They say a large nostril and a wide muzzle, the two usually go together, are signs of a good feeder. Now there is a point that a lot of people overlook. You notice that the top of the shoulder blade is a little below the top of the spinal column. Just run your hand over her and you will see what I mean. This is desirable.
"Look around now at this other cow you first spoke of. You notice a depression between the blades at the top where the spinal column is sunken a little- That is never desirable in either a cow or a bull. but it is frequently found, especially in a bull. You want width enough on the top, but not too much. Now right back of that, over the fore rib, you see how full she is. That is always desirable. Let an animal get drivn skin-poor once and it is difficult afterwards ever to put the same amount of flesh hack in this place. Now run your hand along her back and notice what a covering of flesh she has clear to her tail-head. See if you can locate her hip. Yes, it is all covered up. Look at the old girl over there and see her hips. See how prominent they are. If she was a little thinner you could hang your hat on either hip.
“What I was going to say about the covering over the back is that the butcher pays pretty well for a good showing there. Perhaps you didn't know it, but one-third of the carcass, which includes from this top-line about a third of the way down the ribs, sells for more than the other two-thirds over the butcher's counter. The next time you are in a butcher shop ask the price on sirloin, porterhouse and rib roast cuts. Then get a price on flank steak, round steak and boiling pieces. You will be more impressed then. The expert buyers always favor the steers that are smoothly finished. The meat cuts up better, makes a better appearance in the carcass and consequently sells more readily and at a better price. Take this big cow we were talking about. It doesn’t make any difference how much flesh she takes on. she will never look well in a. carcass and when a packer buyer looks over an animal, or a load of animals, at the yards, all he sees is carcasses hung up on the hooks. Nothing else interests him. It is the finished products from the packer's point of view that he has in mind and nothing else."
Here Tom felt around in his pocket for a match for he had let his cigar go out during the comment. He got it lighted in spite of the wind and, as a result, we made the usual commtit about his having some Irish blood in him. He proceeded: “Now stand back of this cow with me and notice how nicely she fills out in the quarters. While, as I said. round steak doesn't command as high a price as sirloin and porterhouse, there is another point to consider. That is, in these hind quarters can be packed a lot of beefsteak. So, even though it doesn‘t sell for the highest price, the quantity of it gets you by all right- If you have ever stood around the yards much and noted these range steers that come in off the ranches where improved blood has never had an extensive use, you've had many a laugh at their ‘cat hams.’ That simply means that the curves, instead of being outward from the hooks, are inward. In other words, there isn‘t any meat there. Notice how this animal is well meated clear to the hocks.
"Now stand there at the side and notice how her flank comes down level with the rest of the underline. They say that is a sign of good breeding. I guess it is because you always find a good flank where you find the other two. You notice that the underline is parallel with the top line. You notice, too, it is a long way from the underline to the top line; that is, there is a lot of cow there. Then you notice how well she stands on her leg and how nicely the legs are tapered. This last is a sign of good breeding. It adds to the appearance of the individual and I tell you the appearance of these cattle has a lot to do with their value in the mind of the average buyer.
“You notice that this cow has a rich coat of hair. There is a lot of it in the winter time which furnishes the kind of protection that she needs. Just feel of the hair and you will instinctively believe that she is thrifty. The condition of the hair is an accurate indicator. as a rule, of the thriftiness of the individual.
“Another thing is important in a cow. You see she not only has a large udder, but it is well balanced. The quarters are of uniform size and the teats are well placed, one on each corner. and at uniform length. You hear a lot of talk among the dairy folks about the udder. That's where those fellows make their livin'. There are some beef producers who believe that they can get by with cows that don't give any milk, but I have always noticed that the best milkers are the most dependable producers. There is a sort of connection between the two that we can’t ignore. I don't want any cow in my pasture that are not fairly liberal milkers and whenever I get one. I’m reasonably sure that I've got a good breeder.
“Speaking of the covering over the back, you know a. lot of cattle go to the markets that do not have a covering an inch thick there- Just put your hand on this cow‘s loin, run your thumb in below the short rib and measure it. Don't you see there is a good six inches of loin there? That's high priced beef and whenever Mr. PackenBuyer sees that kind of a covering—his mouth watersv Oh, yes, there‘s a lot to learn in this business. just as there is in the dry goods business, where a fellow needs to know the difference in the grades of fabrics, whether cotton, silk or wool. He needs to be a judge of quality. He needs to know something about the whims of the women who buy these fabrics. It isn‘t every dub that makes a success of the dry goods business. Undoubtedly you and I would have a merry time trying to run a dry goods store and no doubt many a dry goods man would feel lost in trying to run the cattle business. It doesn‘t make any difference what business a fellow goes into he has something to learn. And the more he studies it the more he learns."
Here the visitor spoke up. “Well, MrClark, do your requirements in the case of a bull run along the same lines as in the case of a female?"
"Yes," said Clark. “except. of course. you would need to substitute masculinity and virility and impressiveness in the case of the bull for femininity, refinement and grace in the case of the female. I have heard it said that in the selection of the male one should pay special attention to the perfection of the fore end—the headand neck and fore quarters. That is, if some faults had to be taken on, it would be less objectionable to have these in the hind parts than foreward. But in the selection of the female, the reverse would be true. Personally, I don’t take a lot of stock in that suggestion, but at the same time, I wouldn’t use a. bull that didn't get somewhere near perfection in the fore parts. We expect a stronger, heavier shoulder in the case of the bull, but that doesn't involve a. rough shoulder. The shoulder may be stronger and just as well covered as in the case of the female where the shoulder is well laid in.
"It is always desirable in a. bull to have a clean throat and, not a lot of surplus ‘leather.’ A wide muzzle, a large nostril, a full clear eye, broad forehead. well set horns and a neck well arched and smoothly joined to the body, are what an experienced breeder looks for in the selection of a bull. There‘s a mighty difference between coarseness and masculinity. A closely knit carcass with a natural tendency to flesh and a loose, pliable hide are always to be desired in the case of a bull. The hips should be less prominent than in the case of the female, though they should not be too prominent in either instance
"There is another thing I didn't mention. It is the outward curve of the ribs, fullness of the heart girth, immediately back of the shoulders. This has a close relation to the fullness of the chest. As you can understand, plenty of width on the back simply means more room for the highprlced beef.
"There," said he, “I've run out a few. Look at them carefully and you will notice that they are all like, so far as conformation is concerned. They are of different ages, but you can see they are all of one type. That’s what a cattle breeder hopes to be able to do—produce cattle of one type— cattle that he can depend on year after year, the kind that you can build a reputation on; that is something you don't want to overlook—is the value of reputation in breeding good cattle. When I take a load of my steers to market representing this type, you can bet I’m a welcome visitor at the yards and I have mighty little complaint about the prices that are offered for my cattle, one shipment with another
"I spoke about buying this bunch of cattle the other day. I saw a chance to make some money 0n 'em, or thought I did, but I tell you frankly since I put ‘em in here along with these that I have had on the farm, I think a lot less of 'em than I did before. I may make some money, but it won't be much. You can see for yourself since I've driven this bunch out that these others detract from the appearance of the entire herd. This big cow that attracted your attention sort of disturbs the uniformity. The herd would look at least fifty percent better with this mixed lot out and you can bet they’re goin' out the fore part of the week."
We handed Tom another cigar which he lighted and as we looked through the cattle further and strolled back toward the barnyard gate. I overheard the visitor remark to his companion: "This man has told us more about cattle in the last thirty minutes than I ever knew before in all my life."
We think Tom overheard this remark for he slyly winked at us and commented on the weather.
The picture was right in the middle of this "interview". I don't think Tom Clark is real because never has anyone just come out with this information to a visitor. In real life they just say about two words and look amused while you get interested in one animal or another...
Anyway, it's way long, but if you are like me..just dumb and trying to catch up, it's worth the read.
Written by the Editor for the Nebraska Farmer
We happened in at Tom Clark's place not long ago. Tom has been in the cattle business a long time. He has made a great deal of money by just staying on the job and growing a class of cattle that returned fairly liberal profits. Tom studies his business closely. We don't mean that he lies awake nights worrying about it. Tom is a good sleeper when he “hits the hay," but he is a close observer. He generally sees what he is looking at. He is a man of rather quick and always dependable judgment. One isn't apt to spend an hour two with Tom Clark without learning something. He has a way of saying things that makes the points clear. Another thing that has always impressed us is his apparent knowledge of his own business. There isn't very much pertaining to his operations that gets by him without notice. He is just deliberate enough when you are visiting him to be comfortable and his references to the subjects under discussion are pointed enough to hold your attention.
As we drove into his yard that day. he was just starting for a nearby pasture with a. couple of men to look through the cattle and we were invited to go along. Tom keeps a good herd and he keeps them in good condition. as far as practicable. As we strolled among the cattle, commenting on this one and that, one of the visitors commented favorably on a. certain cow. in this wise: “Mr. Clark, that is a wonderful cow! What a lot of flesh she carries! She must be about the best one you have."
Tom was smoking a cigar, which he removed from his mouth and deliberately knocked the ashes off and then puffed on it once or twice to see that the spark of comfort was still there, and remarked, “She‘s the biggest cow I've got." Then another puff on the cigar. “But she comes a long way from being the best one."
“Why, she looks to me 'like a fine animal. Of course, I’m not an expert judge, but she certainly looks like the goods to me," said the visitor.
Torn took another puff or two. "Yes, she probably does look it to one who doesn't know the cattle business from experience. If you notice her closely, and you don't have to strain your eyes to see it either, she's uneven. Her back isn't straight and her sides are more or less ‘rolly,’ like the side of a range of hills. That don’t look good to me. They don’t pay you anything extra at the market for that kind of finish. There‘s a little cow over there that isn't so large, and just now, because she's nursing a calf, she doesn‘t look as attractive to the average man, but she's worth about six of that other cow from a business point of view. Thin as she is, you can see that her lines are fairly level and you can see that her form inclines to smoothness. Take hold of her hide and you’ll notice that it is pliable—‘meliow,’ we call it—and her hair has a sort of gloss that indicates that she’s naturally thrifty.
"There's another thing. She brings a calf regularly and you can judge by looking at her udder that she takes pretty good care of her calves. This other cow is an irregular breeder- She's not the kind you can depend on, one year with another. I got her with a bunch of cattle I bought recently. I’ve known her for a long time. You can bet she’ll not stay long in this pasture. She‘s on her way to market now—but she doesn‘t know it.
“Let me show you a cow that comes pretty near filling my eye. It's this roan one over here, and I just want to go over her a. little to call your attention to the points that have to do with the making of a good animal. In the first place, notice she has a feminine head. clean cut, with a very prominent eye and a wide nostril. Her horns, you see, are nicely turned and have a texture that suggests good breeding. Anyone who knows anything much about cattle would expect, just from the appearance of this row, that she would be a good producer. She has a ladylike appearance. Her neck is well set, indicating good style. You notice that her shoulders are what we call well laid; that is, they are smooth and if you run your hand over them you will see that there is a covering of flesh there. When you are looking for a choice cow, this is one of the first features that you will notice- Her brisket, you see. is reasonably prominent, yet there isn‘t any surplus there. It's funny how a lot of folks seem to think that if the brisket projects well forward and is well rounded that it is the evidence of merit. Well, there isn‘t much to it, except that plenty of width and enough fullness forward indicate room for the lungs, which is important because that indicates a rugged constitution. There, stand in front of her and you will see that there is plenty of width between her front legs which gives ample room for the lungs."
"But you said something about large nostrils that I didn't understand," spoke up the visitor.
"Yes." said Tom, "the large nostrils are important because they make room for an ample intake of air which goes a long way toward good health in an animal, Any time you are looking through a herd of cattle just notice that. They say a large nostril and a wide muzzle, the two usually go together, are signs of a good feeder. Now there is a point that a lot of people overlook. You notice that the top of the shoulder blade is a little below the top of the spinal column. Just run your hand over her and you will see what I mean. This is desirable.
"Look around now at this other cow you first spoke of. You notice a depression between the blades at the top where the spinal column is sunken a little- That is never desirable in either a cow or a bull. but it is frequently found, especially in a bull. You want width enough on the top, but not too much. Now right back of that, over the fore rib, you see how full she is. That is always desirable. Let an animal get drivn skin-poor once and it is difficult afterwards ever to put the same amount of flesh hack in this place. Now run your hand along her back and notice what a covering of flesh she has clear to her tail-head. See if you can locate her hip. Yes, it is all covered up. Look at the old girl over there and see her hips. See how prominent they are. If she was a little thinner you could hang your hat on either hip.
“What I was going to say about the covering over the back is that the butcher pays pretty well for a good showing there. Perhaps you didn't know it, but one-third of the carcass, which includes from this top-line about a third of the way down the ribs, sells for more than the other two-thirds over the butcher's counter. The next time you are in a butcher shop ask the price on sirloin, porterhouse and rib roast cuts. Then get a price on flank steak, round steak and boiling pieces. You will be more impressed then. The expert buyers always favor the steers that are smoothly finished. The meat cuts up better, makes a better appearance in the carcass and consequently sells more readily and at a better price. Take this big cow we were talking about. It doesn’t make any difference how much flesh she takes on. she will never look well in a. carcass and when a packer buyer looks over an animal, or a load of animals, at the yards, all he sees is carcasses hung up on the hooks. Nothing else interests him. It is the finished products from the packer's point of view that he has in mind and nothing else."
Here Tom felt around in his pocket for a match for he had let his cigar go out during the comment. He got it lighted in spite of the wind and, as a result, we made the usual commtit about his having some Irish blood in him. He proceeded: “Now stand back of this cow with me and notice how nicely she fills out in the quarters. While, as I said. round steak doesn't command as high a price as sirloin and porterhouse, there is another point to consider. That is, in these hind quarters can be packed a lot of beefsteak. So, even though it doesn‘t sell for the highest price, the quantity of it gets you by all right- If you have ever stood around the yards much and noted these range steers that come in off the ranches where improved blood has never had an extensive use, you've had many a laugh at their ‘cat hams.’ That simply means that the curves, instead of being outward from the hooks, are inward. In other words, there isn‘t any meat there. Notice how this animal is well meated clear to the hocks.
"Now stand there at the side and notice how her flank comes down level with the rest of the underline. They say that is a sign of good breeding. I guess it is because you always find a good flank where you find the other two. You notice that the underline is parallel with the top line. You notice, too, it is a long way from the underline to the top line; that is, there is a lot of cow there. Then you notice how well she stands on her leg and how nicely the legs are tapered. This last is a sign of good breeding. It adds to the appearance of the individual and I tell you the appearance of these cattle has a lot to do with their value in the mind of the average buyer.
“You notice that this cow has a rich coat of hair. There is a lot of it in the winter time which furnishes the kind of protection that she needs. Just feel of the hair and you will instinctively believe that she is thrifty. The condition of the hair is an accurate indicator. as a rule, of the thriftiness of the individual.
“Another thing is important in a cow. You see she not only has a large udder, but it is well balanced. The quarters are of uniform size and the teats are well placed, one on each corner. and at uniform length. You hear a lot of talk among the dairy folks about the udder. That's where those fellows make their livin'. There are some beef producers who believe that they can get by with cows that don't give any milk, but I have always noticed that the best milkers are the most dependable producers. There is a sort of connection between the two that we can’t ignore. I don't want any cow in my pasture that are not fairly liberal milkers and whenever I get one. I’m reasonably sure that I've got a good breeder.
“Speaking of the covering over the back, you know a. lot of cattle go to the markets that do not have a covering an inch thick there- Just put your hand on this cow‘s loin, run your thumb in below the short rib and measure it. Don't you see there is a good six inches of loin there? That's high priced beef and whenever Mr. PackenBuyer sees that kind of a covering—his mouth watersv Oh, yes, there‘s a lot to learn in this business. just as there is in the dry goods business, where a fellow needs to know the difference in the grades of fabrics, whether cotton, silk or wool. He needs to be a judge of quality. He needs to know something about the whims of the women who buy these fabrics. It isn‘t every dub that makes a success of the dry goods business. Undoubtedly you and I would have a merry time trying to run a dry goods store and no doubt many a dry goods man would feel lost in trying to run the cattle business. It doesn‘t make any difference what business a fellow goes into he has something to learn. And the more he studies it the more he learns."
Here the visitor spoke up. “Well, MrClark, do your requirements in the case of a bull run along the same lines as in the case of a female?"
"Yes," said Clark. “except. of course. you would need to substitute masculinity and virility and impressiveness in the case of the bull for femininity, refinement and grace in the case of the female. I have heard it said that in the selection of the male one should pay special attention to the perfection of the fore end—the headand neck and fore quarters. That is, if some faults had to be taken on, it would be less objectionable to have these in the hind parts than foreward. But in the selection of the female, the reverse would be true. Personally, I don’t take a lot of stock in that suggestion, but at the same time, I wouldn’t use a. bull that didn't get somewhere near perfection in the fore parts. We expect a stronger, heavier shoulder in the case of the bull, but that doesn't involve a. rough shoulder. The shoulder may be stronger and just as well covered as in the case of the female where the shoulder is well laid in.
"It is always desirable in a. bull to have a clean throat and, not a lot of surplus ‘leather.’ A wide muzzle, a large nostril, a full clear eye, broad forehead. well set horns and a neck well arched and smoothly joined to the body, are what an experienced breeder looks for in the selection of a bull. There‘s a mighty difference between coarseness and masculinity. A closely knit carcass with a natural tendency to flesh and a loose, pliable hide are always to be desired in the case of a bull. The hips should be less prominent than in the case of the female, though they should not be too prominent in either instance
"There is another thing I didn't mention. It is the outward curve of the ribs, fullness of the heart girth, immediately back of the shoulders. This has a close relation to the fullness of the chest. As you can understand, plenty of width on the back simply means more room for the highprlced beef.
"There," said he, “I've run out a few. Look at them carefully and you will notice that they are all like, so far as conformation is concerned. They are of different ages, but you can see they are all of one type. That’s what a cattle breeder hopes to be able to do—produce cattle of one type— cattle that he can depend on year after year, the kind that you can build a reputation on; that is something you don't want to overlook—is the value of reputation in breeding good cattle. When I take a load of my steers to market representing this type, you can bet I’m a welcome visitor at the yards and I have mighty little complaint about the prices that are offered for my cattle, one shipment with another
"I spoke about buying this bunch of cattle the other day. I saw a chance to make some money 0n 'em, or thought I did, but I tell you frankly since I put ‘em in here along with these that I have had on the farm, I think a lot less of 'em than I did before. I may make some money, but it won't be much. You can see for yourself since I've driven this bunch out that these others detract from the appearance of the entire herd. This big cow that attracted your attention sort of disturbs the uniformity. The herd would look at least fifty percent better with this mixed lot out and you can bet they’re goin' out the fore part of the week."
We handed Tom another cigar which he lighted and as we looked through the cattle further and strolled back toward the barnyard gate. I overheard the visitor remark to his companion: "This man has told us more about cattle in the last thirty minutes than I ever knew before in all my life."
We think Tom overheard this remark for he slyly winked at us and commented on the weather.
