Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-09-14
Advice ia Young Breeders.

.rb. h,,b prices occasionally realized 10y
ir..l.r, # fine, stock for remarkable
,pecmen, and the fine display often mate
# our annual fairs by careful and intel-
G.cnt breeders, have the effect each year
of inducing new crop OF novices 70 en-
bark in the business. ! hey purchase
f.w choice animals, at good round prices,
b,lng fully Impressed with the Importance
of breeding only from the hest and with
,nidence expect to take rank at once
among tss most famous breeders of live
stock.
But, alas for human hopes the finely
bred animals that for generations have
been accustomed to the care and attention
Of master at the business soon show signs
of the change of condition, and the entnu-
siastic but ignorant proprietor becomes
ashamed of his purchase. Or, If they are
fortunate enough to escape evil conse-
auepce themselves by the change OF owner
ship, their progeny from lack of proper
discrimination in coupling, fall far below
the sanguine anticipations OF the owner
The novice is Disguised. He thinks he
has been swindled-that inferior stock has
been palmed offon him (and perhaps true },
or that this thing of fine stock raising is
all a humbug. He gives up the business,
and his place is taken by another with
like experiences and like results.
There Is one lesson which if we'll learn
ed by the public generally, would prevent
MANY of these disastrous failures; and II
is simply this: if you have tnely-bre
stock, you must take care OF IL II you e6-
EJECT to make it profitable. Animals that
have always had the best of care, W hose
progenitors for many generations have
bees carefully tended by sklllful breeders
and liberal feeders, will not endure the
neglect and starvation to which our scrub
stock have become Injured. Take the
finest COW from the herd Of Sheldon, hlng
or Spears, and subject her to the rough
treatment common among our Western
farmer. for one year, and she would pre-
sent the ghost of her former self. The OBJ
ect should not be to find the animal that
will liz. on the smallest amount OF food,
or eGist under the greatest amount OF ex-
posure, but rather to ascertain by what
means the food actually consumed, and
the care actually bestowed, may be made
the most profitable. That good stock will
amply repay the extra care required IS
well-established fact; but the man who
has no previous knowledge of the subject
should not hope at one bound totake rank
among our most eminent breeders, who
have devoted years of labor and study to
the business. 1t requires discriminating
judgement and tact which can only be ac-
CURED by long experience and close OBJ
seryation, allied to frmness Of purpose
which few possess to enable a man to be-
come eminently successful as breeder OF
any kind of livestock. From various
causes there is constant tendency in all
Breeds of domestic animals to deterlorate ;
and how to counterfeit this tendency by
proper care, judicious selection, and DIS
criminate crossings, so that there shall be
Improvement instead of retrogresslon,
must be the constant aim Of him who
would hope to succeed. In this matter Of
selection and crossing there is room tor
the exercise of the most enlightened Judg-
ment. 1t requires as much intelligence
and knowledge to succeed in this as IN
any other profession or business of life,
and those only who are dilligent, intelligent
and persevering will become eminent.
Those whose ambition or inclination
would lead them to embark in this busl-
ness should be careful to start right.-Ac
quire first a knowledge Of the general
principles which underlie the science Of
breeding, and then study, critically, the
history, habits, form, and disposition Of
the species of animal you design to breed
Have a plaza well defined ideal-snd
then, "hew to the line," and every varla-
bilty OF all domestic animals, will be III
your skilful hands, the means of success
Go slow, and don't expect to reach the goa
ofyour ambition at the first effort. you
have never read "Darwin's Variations o.
Animals and Plants under Domestriction,
buy, borrow or beg the book at once and
read it. 1t will be worth years of expert
ence to YOU. Another book, invaluable
for its incidental discussion of genera
principles, aside from It's specially, il
4" Harris on the Pig" The careful study
of a few such books will save you many
disappointments, and greatly assist you II
acquiring that knowledge of the subjec
without which you cannot hope to succeed
If You have an unlimited supply of money
and a century or two to live, you can at
ford to dispense with such hel ps, and ex
pertinent on your own account but if
like common mortals, your supply of mon
ey and time is limited, you will find tn
experience Of others of great value to you
1t should not be inferred that stock
raisers and farmers generally will not fine
it profitable to buy improved animals t
cross upon the common stock of the coun
try on the contrary, it is chiefly owing
to the fact that the product Of the skill
full breeder is constantly being sent out
that the common stock of our land is az
good as we now find it; but the aim o
this article is to impress upon those "hC
design to make stock breeding a specia
pursuit,
LIST. That 1t is time and money wasted
to buy large lot Of fine stock at fame.
prices without having any prevlou
knowledge of the business:
I'd, That the breeder should have
well defined ideal, and labor patiently ant
perseveringly TO accomplished his object
Sd, That a thorough knowledge of thu
general principles of breeding is essentia
TO success,
4th, That care and attention must b.
given without stint, and that all kinds o
stock usually do better if the eye Of tn
owner is upon them every day and
5th, That no man ever became emf
nent in any profession or business withou
natiant Ia bOr and EARNEST anDliCatiOn -