The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-07-04
Advice to Young Breeders.

AuNIcc 10 Young DTeeucIs'
The high prices occasionally realized
by breeders of fine stock for remarka-
BILE specimen, and the fine display often
made at our annual fairs by careful and
intelligent breeders, have the effect each
year Of inducing a new crop of novices to
embark in the business. They purchase
a few choice animals, at good round
prices, being fully impressed with the i'm
portance of breeding only from the best
and with confidence expect to take rank
at once among the most famous breeders
of livestock
But, alas for human hopes the finely
bred animals that for generations have
been accustomed to the care and atten-
ton of master at the business soon show
signs of the change of condition, and the
enthusiastic but ignorant proprietor be-
comes ashamed Of his purchase. Or, if
they are fortunate enough to escape evil
consequences themselves by the change of
ownership, their progeny from lack of
proper discrimination in coupling fall far
below the sanguinc anticipations of the
owner. The novice is disguised. lie
thinks he has been swindled-that infer
Tor stock has been palmcd off on inland
perhapse true), or that this thing of fine
stock raising is all 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 well learned
by the public generally, would prevent
many of these disastrous failures and it
is simply this If you have finely-bred
stock, you must take care of it if you ex.
pect to make it profitable. Animals that
have always had the best of care, whose
progenitors for many generations have
been carefully tended by skilful 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, King
or Spears, and subject her to the rough
treatment common among our Western
farmers for one year, and she would pre-
sent the ghost of her former SELF The
object should not be to find the animal
that will lire on the smallest amount Of
food or exist under the greatest amount
of exposure, 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 re-
quired is well-established fact but the
man who has no previous knowledge of
the subject should not hope at one bound
TO take rank among our most eminent
breeders, who have devoted years Of la.
Dor and study to the business. Itrequires
discriminating judgement and tact
which can only be acquired by long OK.
perience and close observation, allied to a
frmness of purpose which few possess, to
enable man to become cminently sue.
cessful as breeder Of any kind Of live.
stock. From various causes there is a
constant tendency in all breeds of domes-
tic animals to deteriorate and how to
counteract this tendency by proper care,
judicious selection, and discriminate cross.
ings, so that there shall be improvement
instead Of retrogression, must be the con-
slant aim of him who would hope to sue.
coed. In this matter of selection and
crossing there is room for the exercise of
the most enlightened judgment 1t re-
quires as much intelligence and knowledge
to succeed in this as in any other profess
sion or business Of life, and those only
who are dilligent, intelligent and pcrse-
vering will become eminent.
Those whose ambition or inclination
would lead them to embark in this bust
ness should be careful to start right
Acquire first 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 plaza well.defned ideal-and
then, chew to the line," the very varia-
bility of all domestic animals, will be, in
your skilful hands, the means of success.
Go slow, and don't expect to reach the
goal Of your ambition at the first effort.
If you have never read "Darwin's Vari-
atoms Of Animals and Plants under Do.
mestriction," buy, borrow or beg the
book at once and read it. 1t will be worth
years of experience to you. Another
book, invaluable for its incidental discus.
sion of general principles, aside from its
speciality, is "Harris on the Pig" The
careful study of few such books will
save you many disappointments, and
greatly assist you in acquiring that knowl
edge Of the subject without which you
cannot hope to succeed. If you have al
unlimited supply of money and century
or two to live, you can afford to dispens,
with such helps, and experiment on you
own account but if, like common NOR
tails, your supply Of money and time j
limited, you will find the experience o
others of great value to you.
1t should not be inferred that stock
raisers and farmers generally will not fin,
it profitable to buy improved animals t,
cross upon the common stock of the coun
try; on the contrary, it is chiefly OWN,
to the fact that the product of the skillfu
breeder is constantly being sent out, tina
the common stock of our land is as goo
as we now find it but the aim of thi
article is to impress upon those who dc
sign to make stock-breeding a specia
pursuit,
LIST, That it is time and money waste,
to buy large lot Of fine stock at fame,
prices without having any previous knowl
edge of the business:
I'd, That the breeder should have
well.defned ideal and labor patiently am