The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-12-17
Cattle Breeding.

The following is an extract from Mr.
Duncan's essay before the National Short
Horn Association:
He turned his back upon fine-spun the
cries and their discussion, combining hi'
remarks entirely to the results of his owl
practical observations. The leading prin
ciple of his argument was the law of ma
ture, like produces like, and that, to Sc
cure healthy, robust, vigorous, active and
grOwthy !" calves, it was necessary tC
keep their progenitors in the same condi
ton up to the time of breeding. All ouI
improved varieties of vegetables, the i'm
proved breeds of domestic animals all over
this country, even the Anglo-SaxoI IS
seen tO-day-al were the result of careful
culture, and just as the vegetable required
constant cultivation from the germ to ma.
turity, so the shOrt-horn or any other do,
mestc animal must be cultivated from its
birth to the time at which it becomes :
producer. ~
In order to attain this condition the an.
imal should have such an amount of nu.
tritious food as nature required, should
spend at least half of its life in the open
air, with the privilege of exercising az
much as it wished up TO the period of ma.
turity. After that a change of food should
be made in order to prevent the prOduc-
ton of too much flesh or fat. This he
thought desirable, rather than reduction
in the amount, in order to keep the ami
NAL alta certain point. The food should
be more nutritious in winter than in sum-
mer, and more nutritious for the
nursing than the dry cow. After
the birth of the first calf, which
should occur when the heifer is
thirty months old, she should be coupled
with the male again in from sixty to ninety
days, and not sooner, so that she may
produce the second calf just year after
the first, and so on through her entire
breeding period. Nine months in twelve
was as long as any COW should give milk.
In case the animal becomes too fat, exer-
else and not starvation should be used to
reduce her. Starvation and lack of eXer-
else impaired the constitution and short
ened life; labor, with sufficient food, in
creased muscle, hardened bone, and in
vigorated the system. ..- ..
Male animals designed for breeders
should be kept as much as possible in an
open lot, and not in,the stable or box-stall,
aud should be kept in only in very bad
weather, and then only during the preva-
lence ola storm. Exercise IN the open
air was conductive of strength. while lying
on the ground has tendency to keep the
system cool, which was necessary when
an animal was living upon stimulating
food. The animal should always be i'm
proving rather than declining, and render
but one good service, and never more than
two, in one day. ...
The Introduction of short-horns into
this country had been of almost measure
less service in the improvement of beef as
an article of human food. To make two
blades of grass grow where one grew before
was a grand achievement, but to make
grow five pounds of b eff where three grew
before, to improve its quality and produce
it in less time, was much grander achieve
ment, because it entered into the health
full food of man so Immediately. While
the work of the shOrt-hOrned breeder was
too great at present to be,estimated, it was
plain that it materially affected the inter-
esIs of the next generation.
1t was therefore highly Important. that
the best means of improving the herd
should be the object of the breeder. In
other words, calves were of more value
than premiums, and should be The object
desired by every breeder if it necessitated
the Withdrawal of every shOrt-horn from
the show-ring. The desire for premium
caused breeders to overdo the matter of
feeding for the sake of appearance in the
show-ring, to the detriment of the animal
for breeding purposes. There was much
more loss by the present mode of prepa-
ration for the show-ring than all the pre-
miums amounted to. In conclusion, the
speaker cited some twenty of the most
celebrated families in the world which had
never made any appearance in the show
ring, having never been prepared for mere
premium purposes. They were kept in a
condition which would not strike Judges
of cattle-shows, but would transmit their
highest and best qualities to their progeny.
If premiums could not be awarded upon
the basis of the breeding condition, they
were calculated to do more harm than
good to the stock. lag H-f-- 'ii Z