Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-05-16
AGRICULTURAL
CATTLE BREEDING.

The following communication from one o
the most experienced cattle raisers in Wash
ington county, or indeed in this section of thu
Union, is from the columns Of the Hagersto vi
Herald and Yorc8:
BLOOMFIELD, March 3lst, 1873.
MEssRs EDIroRs AS an old breeder o.
choice blooded cattle, about to relnqush the
business into the hands Of my sons, desire to
say few words through the medium Of your
valuable paper, for the benefit and encourage
ment of those who may have engaged, or that
may contemplate engaging in the same bust
ness.
To do this will not be considered egotisti-
cal, when ! say that through the course Of a
long period of successful stock-raising, have
never sought the public prints as means of
obtaining notofiety, except through the I'M
questionable thannel of advertising. Of this
source; perhaps through mistaken ideas, have
not awaited myself sufficiently, but still enough
TO attain, hope, something more than local
celebrity. Ffty-sX years ago, when quite n
young man. became convinced of the I'M
profitable character of stock-raisng then, and
still, to.a great extent, prevalent among our
farmers, and perceived the avenue which was
open to the breeder of superior stock. Full of
the enthusiasm of youth, | solicited and OBJ
tanned the permission of my father to embark
in what was then considered in my neighbour
hood as somewhat of a visionary scheme, and
have never since found cause to regret my
choice. All that | have ever invested in the
business has returned much larger per cent
than any money that | ever invested in any
thing else.
have dealt chiefly in but two kinds. the
Teeswater and the Durham. Without enter
ing into any discussion as TO their relative
merits, ! may state, that found both profita-
Bile. | commenced with the former breed and
continued with it for forty years. During the
last sixteen years of my life, have been rear
ing the Durham variety, The advantages Of
the improved breeds over the common are sc
many and obvious, and have been SO Otter
stated that it seems superauous for me to dc
so, especially since they are not disputed by
intelligent farmers Some of them, however
are superior milking qualities, larger bone
better muscle, greater capacity for taking OF
fat, superior form aud make up, better quality
of flesh, consequently higher prices for it, ant
greater returns for careful feeding and hand
ling. have frequently sold steers of from
four to five years of age that weighed from
twentysix.to twenty-seven hundred pounds
while those of my neighbors Of the same age
(but natives and raised and fattened at thu
same or perhaps larger cost, would weigl
probably one-half the above figures. Raising
and f,ttening steers Cor market has been tn
principal part of the business with me, togeth
er with the occasional sale of young stock a
good figures.
When say that my steers, with about tn
same cos! Us those of my neghbors, have pro
duced double weight, with from one third t
one and one-half times as much per pound a
theirs, any person of ordinary ability ca
readily see that il there were any profits in fat
tening cattle, must have come in for my fuI
share. In my varied experience in this busi
ness | have found that care in selecting pur
breed regardless of cost, is one of the great es
sentials of success, My first purchase wa
from Mr.. John Mason, next from VIM Sprigg
then old Mr.. John Breathed, uncle Of the pres
ent Mr.. John W. Breathed and Col Fitzhugt
When commenced raising Durhams, bougl
from the celebrated herd oc the Hon. Henr
Clay, Ashland, Kentucky NV advice
farmers would be, to invest all your surplu
capital in pair of pure bloods rather than i
half-dozen Of the common mixed cattle.
JoHN SCHNEBLEy.