Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-07-01
agricultural.
This Department Is conducted by
Hon. !. ". Colburn aud Hon. John Gregory
Improve The Herd.

IL is not every farmer who can breed 0
famous herd Of cattle-one that will furnish
animals sought far and wide and commanding
fancy prices, but there is no farmer, we ven
ture to assert. who has neither means nor ca
pability to greatly and proftably improve his
stock Of cattle, be il large or small, if he be.
rims the work with determination and fore.
thought. and follows it with patience aud
steadfstness Aud there is, perhaps no
branch Of farming that would pay better than
such improvement, considering the outlay
How much, for instance, might the average
quality of our beef be advanced, in few
years. and the cost Of its production lessened
If the farmers who raise it would universally
breed their stock, to the best Of their knowl.
edge and opportunities, with the view Of inn
proving their qualities for making meat The
gain would soon aggregate a large amount
SO, too, with the milking qualities, though
We think more care is taken in general, to
breed good mixers than cattle having the
best faitening qualities Still, there is o
very general failure in this respect How
many readers of this, for example, have own
ed at some time in their farming experience,
a strain of milking stock that possessed SUI
perior qualities COW, herself and female
descendants noted invariably for richness and
quality of milk-and yet by carccssness or
non-appreciatipn have lost the good blood and
got inferior in its stead2 With some care
and Judgment and a little extra expense, a
valuable herd might have been created, eat
ing no more food but returning much great
er profits, and intrinsically worth much
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farmers are careless in this respect because
they shift often from one class of stock to
another; now it is cattle, by-and-by it will
be sheep or hogs, but it should be remembers
ed that the best brings the largest price when
sold, and the good breeder is repaid for his
outlay even if the stock is brought under the
hammer
II is necessary for the cattle breeder who
sets out to Systematically improve his herd to
understand the fundamental rules governing
selection, and these are well stated in the
Hon. H. +. Aliens recent work ON American
cattle from which we quote -" First Sound
health and freedom from constitutional, he
redtary chronic or local disease, bemish or
infrmity of any kind. And such sound
health and freedom from any kind of fired
hl0'srts HhNulh tll'tAhlb W fNtiN NbhiE uill-
NAL which is to be retained for breeding pur-
poses thereafter. I'd. As much perfection of
form as may be possible to obtain in the breed,
hearing in mind the chief uses for which the
animals are intended Sd. That they possess
the strong and marked characteristics of their
breed, in the various points belonging to it.
18th. That if of distinct breed, the blood be
thoroughly pure, and that purity be substan-
tally well authenticated pedigrees, through
as many generations back as can be ascertain
ed. 9th. Good temper, and kindly, docile
disposition in the animals so selected or rear-
ed for breeding or other purposes.
3" To carry out these rules, an enumeration
of certain points which all cattle, of any breed
should possess, is necessary. Among them
are lst A fine head, small and lean "a. A
broad, full and deep chest, giving room for
well-deyeoped and vigorous lungs to play
Sd. Good length, breadth and roundncss off
body, roomy and full from shoulder to hip,
with low TANKS, thus giving room for album
dant action of the viscera or bowels, and ex-
pansion for the fietus,if in female. 4th. |
Straight back, broad hips and good length of
loin. 9th. Fineness Of bone snoothness in /
the carcass generally.
All these are indispensable, whether in
AN animal held for propagating its kind, for
flesh solely, an OK for labor, or COW for
milk. The intermediate parts, or points of
the animals, may be filled out to promote the
objects desired for the particular uses to
which the creature is to be applied but all
of which we have enumerated are indspen-
sable IN making up good animal"
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