Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-02-17
STOCK RAISIN G..
FANCY OR PRACTICAL.

FANCY Or PRACTICAL.
A young breeder and farmer addresses a
pertinent question to the National livestock
Journal. He wants to know if %shorthorns
have no real worth, if fine beef qualities are
to be sacrificed to pedigree? "We have
been under the IMPRESSION he writes,
:" that this class of cattle have gained their
great popularity because they excelled all
others for beef; and under this impression
lit seems delusive-we were led to in
vest in some and M breeding, for
we realized that the cattle of our country
needed improvement. We want cattle that
will fatten earlier and grow larger than
those we have. But if they are bred for
mere paper qualifications, WI believe that
we will hold off for awhile. We have the
impression that it is the working Of a mere
ring (; but then it is hard for us to realize
that anything like a ring should be formed
among farmers and breeders. We thought
the great effort they are making throughout
this entire land is to put down such things,
and to establish fair dealing among all
classes. 1t has been suggested to us that all
this fuss about pedigrees and the effort to
to build up a few families was in the hands
Of a few-mostly spectators and from a
careful scanning of the list of sales and pur-
chases we are led to the conclusion that
there is something in it and we are thus
encouraged, for sooner or later all rings will
be broken down, and the shorthorns will
stand out boldly, occupying the position the
God of Nature intended they should occu-
py." There are thousands who think as the
man thinks whose words we have quoted.
The spectators in shorthorns injure rather
than advance the interests of the cattle in a
general way. They combine to make the
farmers who desire to improve their bovines
pay extravaganza prices for bulls and cows.
They frighten would-be purchasers away
from the sales. They make the man who
has commenced breeding for the block dis
satisfied with the fruits of his labor. They
unsettle values and teach the farmers to run
after strange gods They elevate fancy
strains ut the expense Of the more solid and
practical. There whole influence is demon
alizing. The man who breeds for practical
purposes cannot afford to pay fancy prices
for his stock, for he cannot sell at fancy
prices. The butcher will pay only SO much
per pound for beef, and the grocer cannot be
induced to look upon butter as worth its
weight in gold. The practical breeder is
the one who should be encouraged. Upon
him the nation relies for a portion of its food
supply. A healthy sentiment seems to be
making Roadway with regard to shorthorns
since we pricked the ring bubble. The
writer whose words we have quoted above
makes n mistake. The God of Nature
has never wasted any thoughts on the posi-
ton of shorthorns. AS He had very little to
do with fashioning them, He could not well
have intended them to fill any particular
sphere in life. The shorthorn is an artificial
breed. It has been fashioned by man. Left
to Nature it would lose all of the character
istics which make it different from other
hreeds.-Ihsf Field and Farm.
ADVICE TO wooL-GR0WERs.
In q recent number Of WSlkes' Spirit Of
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