Nebraska advertiser., 1868-11-26
Grade stock.

For practical purposes, we have al
ways been an advocate of grade stock,
especially as applicableto cattle and
horses. IL is a question worthy of
consideration by all our farmers and
stock raisers. We shall refer to this
matter again. For the presentwe give
place TO the following excellent arti-
Gle from the pen of the author of
"Walks and Talks" found in the No
vember number of the AB1ericoh Ag-
"Our Agricultural Societies make a
mistake in not offering more liberal
prizes for grade animals. 1t is all very
well to offer prizes for the best Short |
horns or DevOns, but farmers have |
comparatively little interest in the
matter. The raising of thoroughbred |
stock will be, and must be, confined |
to professional breeders. Farmers, !
who keep cattle simply for meat or
milk do not want herd of pedigree |
animals. "IfyOu raise ShOrt-hOrns, |
said the herdsman of one of our well |
known breeders, ''yOU must raise them |
as Short horns" In other words, |
give the calf the milk of at least one |
COW all summer, with what oil cake,
grass, etc, it will eat in addition. Now
this is all very well and perfectly prop
er. 1t is the only way in which to |
develope that tendency to lay on flesh,
for which the breed is celebrated. |
Keep up the system from generation,
and the tendency to consume large
quantities Of food and convert ii into
large quantities of beef become estab-
lished, and this desirable quality is
impaired TO the offspring. But We can
not afford to raise stock for ordinary
purposes. in this way. 1t is the prov
ince of the breeder and not of the far
mer. The value Of the short horn con
sists in its ability tOimpart its quail
ties tOcOmmOn stOck-tO give us grades
that have little Otfal, and that will
convert a large quantity of food into
beef or milk. 1t is the grades that we
want, and it is the grades that should
be shown. John Johnston once said
to me, II don't care for pedigree. Let
me put my hand on an animal and
that is all ask" This is true in the
sense in which he intended it. His
own experience proves, however, all
that the most enthusiastic advocates
of thoroughbred animals claim. He is
a neighbOr of Mr. James o. Sheldon,
who has short horns second to none in
the world, and Mr.. s. allowed Mr..
Johnston to send a favOrite COW to one
of his best pedigree animals. Mr.. J.
gave the calf the same treatment he
would any other calf, nothing more.
He never starves any animal, and did
not starve this one. But it was not
stuffed or forced. 1t had no grain, and
received only ordinary treatment.
Perhaps l should take that back, for,
as Mr.. Cornell once remarked, "ordi-
nary treatment consists in keeping a
calf so that it shall lose in the winter
half what it gains i'm the summer.
The calf received good, ordinary treat
ment, and nothing mOre-such treat
ment as any farmer can afford to give.
Well, when l was there the calf had
grown to be steer, and was Is months
Old A butcher came along and offered
Mr.. Johnston 10 cents ID live weight,
and take him at / 400 TBS, or Sl40. He
would not sell him, though thinking
that heoverestimated the weight. Mr..
]. wanted me to see him weighed, and
| l did so the next morning. After fast
| ing all night he weighed l 1850 IDS. 30
much for pedigree. Now 1t Is just sueh
animals that / want to see exhibited.
/ cannot 20 into raising thorough
breds; have not money enough. But
| 1 can afford TO raise good grades. AL
that we need is thoroughbred bulls.
/ And it is so with sheep, and with pigs,
land presume with poultry also. Let
| Us see what the use of thoroughbred
males will do when crossed on COM
mon stock. Let US have a good show
of grade animals at our fair.
Il have some thoroughbred Essex
! pigs, and IaIsO have some grade Essex.
/ That is to say, pigs from common
sow, crossed with thoroughbred Is
sex. The thoroughbredsa and the grades
have the same treatment, but the
| grades of the same age, are decidedly
ahead. The grades have all the sym
metry, ineness of bone, and tendency
to fatten, of the thOrOughbreds, and
have the vigOr and hardness of the
SOW. To exhibit the thoroughbreds
does little good but an exhibition of
grades, fat for the butcher, would show
I farmers. the advantage of using thor
oughbred males, even with csmmon
sows."