Interesting stories are often to be heard of the manner in which ranchmen got into the cattle business. Such a yarn was spun recently by Curtice H. Martin, of the Curtice Herefords establishment at Stevensville, Mont.
The story concerns the Chester Chase family, of Springfield, Ore. About three years ago, Mr. Chase found that he had to run so many sheep per acre on his irrigated pastures that it did not enable him to keep the sheep on clean ground after they had been running out for a few weeks. Realizing he must use these pastures in some other way, and being certain that he must have livestock to make use of the roughage and also produce fertilizer for his extensive fruit and nut orchards, he made a trip to the county agent for counsel.
In that office, he picked up a copy of Western Livestock Journal. Reading through the articles in the magazine and the advertisements placed by breeders, he made his decision—he would try a herd of registered Herefords.
During the following year he purchased some top females from several of the prominent western breeders. He also bought a cow with bull calf at side from one of the top Texas herds. Watching the herd grow, the entire Chase family got interested. Now Mrs. Chase, Mr. Chase, the three Chase girls and son Rodney each have their favorite animals in the herd and Herefords are the chief source of interest at any family gathering.
Mr. Martin first heard the story of how the Chases got into Herefords in the fall of 1942, when Mr. Chase and Rodney came to the Portland show and sale and bought 20 heifers consigned by the Curtice Herefords. Six were yearlings and the balance two-year-olds.
Mr. Chase has a nephew, LeRoy Chase, who lives a few miles away and is a successful farmer and produce operator. Last Christmas he received a gift subscription to Western Livestock Journal from his uncle. By February, he had decided he too would like some good Herefords. In February of this year the Chases—Chester, LeRoy and Rodney—made a trip to the Curtice Hereford Ranch where LeRoy bought 10 head of three-year-old heifers coming with their second calves. Rodney took a purebred steer home with him to feed out in his 4-H Club work. He had the champion at the Oregon State Fair last year and is aiming at a repeat performance.
On the same trip, Chester Chase bought 10 more heifers, bred to have their first calves this fall. He also took home as a loan a reserve herd sire, which he will keep for the season providing Mr. Martin does not send out an S.O.S. for his return. The bull is a real prospect, sired by a son of Real Prince Domino 33rd and out of an outstanding cow in Otto Fulscher’s herd, and Mr. Chase has first option to buy him after this summer.
