The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-06-17
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EVERY DAY THOUGHTS ABOUT EVERY
DAY WORK
by a Young Farmer.

called, reminds me that have certain ideas
| OF theories IN regard to it which / have
never published, and which may be new TO
many farmers, and may perhaps provoke
some comment from some of them. nv
which we may get facts from some one Of
greater experience than ] have, which will
either prove or disprove them, or at any
rate give us more knowledge upon the sub
| Ject than we now have.
The generally received opinion that close
breeding is contrary to the laws of nature
and therefore pernicious, and liable if per-
sisted in to deteriorate the quality of stock
thus produced, l am not intending to dis
pute in general terms, but the question
whether there are any exceptions to that rule
would not consider as thoroughly de-
cided, and am very firmly convinced that
| there are cases where breeding in or back
to the sire of the female is not only allow
able, but by all means the best course.
For instance, in cross breeding for the pur
pose of engrafting upon one breed some es-
pecal quality of another, as stronger
constitution, larger size or earlier ma.
turity, it would be the better way, or as
| good way at least TO select the female
from the breed possessing that quality, AMI
then to breed ner and her progeny to a
| thoroughbred sire of the other breed, es
pecially selected according to certain rules
of breeding, well known to competent
breeders.
The main character of these three.quar-
ter or seven-eighths bred stock would be
more thoroughly established and more
strongly characteristic of the breed of the
sire if close bred Chat is bred to the same
sire), than if bred to another sire of the
same breed, no matter how carefully Sc
lected for the purpose, or how much he
might resemble the first sire. In breeding
native cows to thoroughbred bull for the
purpose of obtaining high grades, should
prefer breeding back to the same bull If he
had no faults or dcfectS than to any other,
as long as his age did not disqualify him.
But any defect in him would become a de-
formity in the higher grades if thus null
tiplied upon itself. The same is true Of
sheep. In putting thoroughbred ram
| with flock of native sheep or sheep of
another pure breed for the purpose of OBJ
tanning high grades oft the breed of the ram,
would not change the ram as long as he was
fit for service, unless observed in him or
his lambs some hereditary fault Such
fault that he inherited but did not show
himself might be so manifest in the lambs
as to condemn him, although it did not APP
pear in him.
But would not counsel close breeding
of any breed of swine that is so thoroughly
established as to warrant it, not even the
much Wanted black breeds. They are all
formed by judicious crossing, and to breed
IN among mongrel breeds, if may use such
an expression, is more likely to exaggerate
the defects than to fix the good qualities.
Please observe that / insist upon the ru-
rity of the breed, and freedom from any
fault or hereditary tendency to fault on the
part of the sire. Also that would differ
from many breeders in my method of i'm
proving breed by crossing. Many who
desire. to engraft a peculiar characteristic
another would use sire of the first breed
for one cross and then attempt to breed
back again to the second breed. l would
prefer to select females of the first breed
and breed them up to the sire as far as pos
sible. But am not prepared to advocate
close breeding any farther than this. 1t
might do to continue it still farther by using
a male bred in this way for a second cross,
if of very high grade, but | should lie
very doubtful about it. / would never use
it for a female of the same grade, though
it might be worth while to try it as an en-
pertinent by using male of so high grade
as to have the character almost as firmly
fixed as pure breed upon female Of
lower grade. Nor do | advocate close
breeding pure bred stock, as it might ex-
aggerate the desirable qualities of the breed
at the expense of the constitution, or would
also exaggerate the defects.
But if am correct in my statement of the
exception 20 the general rule and in the
best method of breeding grade stock, it
would be an advantage to many farmers
who wish to improve the breed of their
| cows and sheep to know that they can do
so by selecting the thoroughbred sire, and
breeding their so-called native stock to it,
without the necessity of changing the sire
| for every generation. This has been a
serious hinderance to many, as thorough.
bred STOCK cannot be bought for song,
nor would it always sell without serious
loss after one or two years service. If l
am incorrect l hope some of those who
have experience in breeding, and who un-
derstand it far better than do, will try to
set me right.
l have received an intore sting letter from
reader of The Journal, from which
propose to make a few extracts, and upon
which l shall make some comments, as
the writer in asking some questions gives
me that privilege. After using the usual
complimentary phrases, which | hope he
means, he says: II am one of that rap
idly increasing class who are becoming dis
gusted with the dragging, grinding and
narrowing influence of the shop life of a
clerk, and long for the open air of country
boyhood. | have saved some money to-
ward that ultimate of so many, farm, for
my declining years. But why wait and
waste the vigor of life for a joy at the end,
when, perhaps, it might be found already
in the doing2 l mean why drone out all
my days behind a counter, when the same
work on farm might secure to me the
pleasure as l 60 along which l now only
anticipate at the endf" Why, sure enoughr
l ask. Do you expect, sir, to be better
able to enjoy the pleasures of country life
in your old age than now? Or will you be
better able then to perform the work upon
q farm, sufficient to make it afford you a
competent support, or fair equivalent, for
that which you invest in 1t?
think not, nor will you feel the pleas
ure in fixing up your home to suit you and
in the anticipation OF the future there which
you would if you could arrive at it earlier
in life. Then if you have a fancy for try
ing farm life and have obtained means
sufficient to attain it, do not hesitate; it
will be as prudent to take the risk now as
later in life, and more so, for If bad luck
and failure attend you in it, or II you meet
with obstacles at first, you may still have
strength to overcome the obstacles or to
retrieve your fortune in another walk in
life.
l cannot judge of your likelihood to sue
coed as farmer in making living at it
any better than l could of the probability
of your prospering as a merchant, for l
know nothing about your knowledge of the
business, either from experience at coun-
try home in boyhood, or by reading since,
or of your quickness to learn by study and
l nhu a.
your pluck, energy, or business capability,
but cannot see that you would be likely
to improve in either point by waiting. /
do not believe, as people used to, that "any
fool can be farmer" that is, successful
one. If / had son who was not quite rs
bright as he ought to be, l might make a
doctor or q lawyer Of him, and hope to see