Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-12-14
the shortest possible time by the means

presume that YOU nave frequently no.
ticed even in your own yards or pens Of cat
tie, sheep OF hogs, a great contrast between
different animals in their development OF
form. or it may be in their fattening quail
tiles; While one takes Oh fat readily, being
at all times ready for the shambles. and OF
fine form, the other remains lean and raw
boned, and without doubt consumes more
feed than the first.
Here let me ask what disposition is usual
ly made of the two animals? The fat, sleek
and easy-heeper, be it q lelfer. sheep or pig
is admired by the butcher, a large price Of
fered-that class always commands q full
price-and they are sold; Willie the poor,
scrawny animal is saved as a breeder be-
cause, torsoota, she is good for nothing else,
and in breeding she is undoubtedly coupled
with another scrawny one because the use
of it is obtained very cheap, and this is by
some termed systematic and skllltul breed
ing.
Il DO not pretend to say that all farmers
practice this ruinous system, but Iverily be-
lieye that the majority throughout this
country NO u w ii Coii%LtlCl &AtIilp' 80
this right? Does this practice have u ten
dencv to improve our farm stock? Is it at
all surprising that so many of ou farmers
every three Or four years desire to change
their breed of hogs, Or sell. their flock OF
sheep because they have run out?,
DO these farmers ever ask the question to
What farmers they usually so to obtain ami
mails to replace their run out stock? Nine
time In every ten it is to those who have
made the improvement Of their stock q
study, and have perhaps been breeding i'll
the same strain of blood for half q century,
improving with each and every cross. The
true secret of success is the system directly
opposite to the one above portrayed. Let
every farmer choose from the females Of his
herd and tlocks those not perfect in all points
for the purpose for Which he wishes to
breed, whether it be with cattle for beet, or
milk and butter, and with sheep for wool or
mutton; then study the particular defects
which you desire to remedy and make q Sc
lection of Il male to breed to them accor-
dinghy, and so continue year after year and
there will be no such thing as your stock
running out. So much for Improvement in
breeding, next i'll importance and closely al
lied to its care and management.
1t is impossible to make any kind Of farm
stock profitable il kept on the starvation
principle; that is to say, let them get so
poor during the winter that it requires one
half of the following um!ner to reach the
same condition they were in the previous
autumn, thus losing about tWo-thirds of the
year, making but little or no growth
where it they were fed so rs to be kept in a
thriving condition from birth, both winter
and summer, it will be just as easy to make
~atwo-year-old steer weigh as much as ono
at three kept in the ordinary way, or a pig
at nine months as heavy as a hog usually is
at sixteenth eighteen months and i'll the
matter Of butter and cheese the relative
profit is still greater, aud with sheep the
fleece is not only light in weight but tht
fibre is uneven and often rotten on a poorly
wintered one. The same rule will applystf
all classes of domestic animals. | know
that NIL will say that this theory is very
good. but will it pay
Let us enquire into this matter of pay. A
well-bred grade Shortllorn steer at the same
age and with the same keeping will at two
wears dress at least TIVE hundred pound!
more beef than d common a native, and TIA,
beef will sell for at least one to one audi
half cents per pound more. making abou
$40 in favor Of the Shortaorn, with little
any additional cost. and | could cite in
stances where the difference was at least lN