Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-09-15
The Imnrorement Of Stocl.


It is a mistaken idea that only the great
breeders, who make a speciality Of it, can do
anything for the improvement Of the breeds
of domestic animals upon our farms. So
far is this idea from being true, that the
greatest care, skin and success on the part
Of such breeders will be Of little avail, so
long as they are not emulated and seconded
by the majority Of the ordinary farmers Of
the country The latter are able, by in
difference ignorance aud neglect TO run
down faster than the utmost skill can i'm
prove the animals under their control
And just here lies the point Of much that
we have said about the degree Of advantage
to be expected in this country from the i'm
portation Of improved breeds from abroad.
Some gentlemen, interested in these i'm
proved breeds, seem to suppose that we are
disposed to underrate aud depreciate this
value but that is because they have not
taken the pains to understand our position,
which is simply this, that without an i'm
proved husbandry, carried out into all its
details, it is in vain to introduce improved
varieties Of plants or animals upon our
farms. What we have-the common stock
ARE what they are in consequence of the
influences to which they are constantly ex
posed, in the matters Of breeding, feeding and
management; and if that breeding, feeding
and management were better, we should have
better stock while without improvement in
these matters, it will be Of only temporary
advantage that better farmers in Europe
send us the improved results Of their better
farming. Mans influence upon the animals
in his hands is supreme. lie can keep them
scrubs or make them thoroughbreds, accord
ing to his will. improvement is always the
result Of intelligent care running out
whether it be Of land, crops or live stock, is
the result of ignorance and neglect Day
and night do not follow each other more GER
tainly than these causes are followed by
their natural effects If there were no thor
oughbred animals TO be had from abroad,
intelligent care would give us thoroughbreds
of our own lacking the intelligence and the
care, no permanent benefit need be expected
from all the importations that can be made.
" Do these importations, then, do no good
to our farming interest :" will be asked.
just so far, land no farther) we reply, as
the right of them stimulates our ambition,
and the use Of them saves our time. If see
ing what intelligence and care have done for
the live stock Of europe will induce our far
ners to make an effort to equal them, the
importation Of these models will do good
And having determined TO equal them, the
use Of stock upon which years Of intelligent
care have been spent will help us to speedier
results But what good, we ask, can be ex-
pected from these importations among set
of farmers who are too ignorant to see their
merits, too bigotted to admit them when
they do see them, too unenterprising to avail
themselves of the advantages they offer, or
too set in the old ways to make the neces-
sary changes in their whole system Of hus-
bandry, needed to bring it into harmony with
the requirements of improved breeds of
stock
There are, here and there throughout the
country, bright, enterprsing and intelligent
men engaged in agriculture who have
availed themselves of these improved results
of European husbandry. They have i'm
ported, or bought of others who have inn
ported, improved breeds of swine, sheep,
cattle and horses. Now we have a somewhat
extensive acquaintance among these men,
and we could appeal confidently to them
upon this subject, and draw from their ex
perlence entire confirmation of what we here
say, and what we have said before. We know
that they do not look TO the common farmers
OF the country for customers-th they even
dread to sell stock TO such of them as, slim
ulated 10y some vague notions Of advantage,
come to them to purchase. They know that
in the vast majority Of cases these purchas-
ers will, in the first place, for the sake of
cheapness, buy the culls Of the flock or herd /;
that when they get them home they will
half starye aud otherwise abuse them, till
they are good for nothing and that they will
then fill the country with dcnunciations of
the seller as swindler and of the stock as
humbug. We have seen this happen time
and time again; we have heard conceited ig-
noramuses declaiming at fairs against clancy
stock" and blowing about the merits of
natives and we did never yet disagree
with them in their opinion that natives were
good enough for them-except in thinking
that they were too good
Our "native stock" was imported from
Europe. 1t was brought to this country be-
fora hal H., Al. 4.
il is now, it has become as the result of all
the influences TO which it has been sub
iected-infuence Of climate food and hui
man care, or neglect. 1t has no uniformity,
In some sections, where the land is good
and the farming better than the average, it
is very good; though from want of selection
in breeding, the improvement has not been
sufficient, or sufficiently uniform, TO make
" breed" Add skill in breeding TO good
care, and in such localities il would not take
long to develop families that time and a
continuation Of intelligent care would grad
ually transform into breeds. In this process,
foreign improved blood could be used TO ad-
vantage, and the result would, we feel sure,
confirm our often asserted belief that we
shall in time have American breeds that
will be SO much better adapted to our con.
tinent than any foreign breeds can be, that
the latter would cease TO be in requisition.
Already beginnings have been made with
the smaller and more rapidly breeding ami
mails, like sheep, swine and poultry. Let
knowledge of the sciences applicable TO
farming increase, and the number of those
engaged in the improvement of stock upon
our farms will increase with IT, But so
long as we are satisfied with scrub schools
and scrub education for farmers, we shall
have scrub farming and scrub stock, and
shall be blindly and vainly hoping to get
any permanent improvement from that
which is far fetched and dear bought"
How TO Fed A IIoRsE-As a general
rule, too much food is given, and too much
OF this is hay. Ten pounds Of hay and
twelve pounds Of oats constitute a good
days fodder for a working horse, whether
the work be fast or slow. Herbert's advice
IN regard 10 feeding horses, is to give lock