The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-05-03
0he farmtr.
CATTLE BRERDING.

The following communication from one
Of the most experienced cattle raisers in
Washington county, or indeed in this sec
t:Sa Of Glc Union. is from the columns Of
the Hagerstown Herald and Torch:
BLooMFIELD, March 3lst, 1873.
MxssRs EDIToRs As an old breeder
Of choice blooded cattle, about to relinquish
the business into the hands Of my sons, |
desire to say few words through the me
dun Of your valuable paper, for the benefit
and encouragement Of those who may have
engaged, or that may contemplate engaging
in the same business.
To do this win not be considered egotis-
tical, when / say that through the course
ola long period Of successful stock-raising,
I have never sought the public prints as
means Of obtaining notoriety, except thro'
the unquestionable channel Of advertising.
OF this source, perhaps through mistaken
ideas. have not availed myself sufficiently,
but still enough to attain, / hope, some
thing more than local celebrity. Fifty
SIX wears ago, when quite young man, |
became convinced Of the Improbable char
acter Of stock-raising 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
obtained the permission Of my father to
embark IN what was then considered in my
neiehborhood as somewhat Of visionary
scheme, and have never since found cause
to regret my choice. All that have ever
invested in the business, has returned a
much larger per cent. than any money that
ever invested in any thing else.
have dealt chiefly in but two kinds,
the Teeswafer and the Durham. Without
entering into any discussion as TO their
relative merits, may state, that | found
both profitable. commenced with the
former breed and continued with il for
forty years. During the last sixteen years
Of my life, have been rearing the Dur
ham variety. The advantages Of the i'm
proved breeds over the common, are 50
many and obvious, and have been so often
stated that it seems superfuous for me to
do 50, especially since they are mysterious
" disputed BY Intelligent farmers. Some
Of them, however, are superior milking
qualities, larger bone, better muscle, grea.
ter capacity for taking on fat, superior
form and make up, better quality of flesh,
consequently higher prices for it, and
greater returns for careful feeding and
handling. / have frequently sold steers Of
from four to five years ofage that weighed
from twenty-six to twenty-seven hundred
pounds, while those Of my neighbors Of
the same age, (but nativesl and raised and
fattened at the same, or, perhaps larger
cost, would weigh probably one-half the
above figures. Raising and fattening
steers for market has been the principal
part Of the business with me, together with
the occasional sale Of young stock at good
figures.
When ! say that my steers, with about
the same cost as those of my neighbors,
have produced double weight, with from
one and one-third to one and one-hali
times as much per pound as theirs, any
persons Of ordinary ability can readily see
that if there were any profits in fattenipg
cattle, l must have come in for my full
share. In my varied experience in this
business, / have found that care in select
ing pure breed regardless of cost, is one Of
the great essentials Of success. My first
purchase was from Mr. John Mason, next
from William Sprigg, then old Mr.. John
Breafhed, uncle Of the present Mr.. john
W. Breathed, and Col Fitzhugh. When
commented raising Durhams, ] bought
from the celebrated Herd Of the Hon.
Henry Clay, Ashland, Kentucky, Ny
advice TO young farmers would be, invest
all your surplus capital in pair of pure
bloods rather than in half-dozen Of the
common mixed cattle.
JoHN ScHNEBLY.