Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1875-01-07
Cattle Breeding.

Ho turned his back upon fne-spun
theories and their discussion, combining
his remarks entirely to his own practi-
cal observations. The leading princi.
pie Of his argument was the law of m
ture, like produces like, and that, to se-
cure healthy, robust, vigorous, active
and growthy" calves, it was necessary
10 keep their progenitors in the same
condition up to the time of breeding.
AL our improved varieties of vegetables,
the improved breeds of domestic ami
NJ lis all over the country, even the An
{ o.Saxon MS seen to.day-all were the
result of careful culture, and just MS the
vegetable required constant cultivation
from the germ to maturity, so the short
horn or any other domestic animal must
be cultivated from it's birth to the time
at which it becomes producer.
In order to attain this condition the
animal should have such mn amount of
nutritious food as nature required,
should spend Mt least half OF It's life in
the open air. with the privilege of ex-
ercising as much rs it wished up to the
time of maturity. After that change
Of food should be made in order to pre-
vent the production of too much flesh
or fat. This he thought desirable,
rather than reduction in the amount,
in order to keep the animal at GER
tain point. The food should be moro
nutritious in winter than in summer,
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 q 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 became too fat, exercise
and not starvation should be used to re.
duce her. Starvation and lack of ex-
ercise impaired the constitution and
shortened. life; labor, with sufficient
food increased muscle, hardened bone,
and invigorated 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, should be kept in only in very
bad weather, and then only during the
prevalence of storm. Exercise in tho
open air was conducive of strength,
while lying on the ground had ten
dency to keep the system cool, which
was necessary when an animal was liv-
ing on stimulating food. Tho male
animal should always be improving
rather than declining, and render but
one good service, and never more than
tive, in one day.
Tho introduction of short-horns into
this country has been of almost meas
ureless service in tho Improvement of
beef rs an article of human food. To
make two blades of grass grow where
one grew before was q grand achieve
ment, but to make grow five pounds of
beef where three grew before, to i'm
prove its quality and produce it in less
time, was much grander achievement,
because it entered into the hcalthful
food of man so Immediately. Whlo
the work of the shorthorn breeder was
too great at present to be estimated, it
was plain that it materially affected the
interests of the next generation.
It was therefore highly important
that the best means OF improving the
herd should be the object of the breed.
or. In other words, calves were of
more value than premiums, and should
be the object desired by every breeder
if it necessitated tho withdrawal of
every short-horn from the show-ring.
The desire for premium caused breed
ers to overdo the matter of feeding for.
tho sake of appearance in the show
ring, to the detriment of the animal for
breeding purposes. There was much
more lost by the present mode of prep.
aration for the show-ring than all the
premiums amounted to. In conclusion,
the speaker cited Rome twenty of the
most celebrated families in the world
which had never made any appearance
in the show-ring, having never been
prepared for more premium purposes.
They were kept in 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
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