Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-02-10
STOCK RAISIN G..
sH0RTHORNs AND PROGRESS.


We have upon several occasions urged
mo the farmers OF Montgomery county to
invest a portions of their means in short
horns, because we believed it would result
beneficially to them. They have taken adj
of all the modern improvements to
till their soil, harvest their grain, and i'm
prove their hogs and sheep, and several OF
them w some shorthorns of the finest
crosses, but we would like to see more OF
them engage in this paying enterprise. We
live in an age of progression, and 1t should
be the object of our farmers to improve the
breed of cattle, as well as to improve the
breed of any other stock, or to invest IN
labor-saving machines. Who is there among
us that would for a moment think of divest-
ing himself of all the modern improvements
and appliances for the utilization OF labor,
and 90 back to the ancient implements OF
our fore-fathers, when the mechanical arts
were in their infancy? Certainly none.
There would be as much wisdom in such q
procedure as in an argument to prove the
inferiority of the Poland-China, Chester or
Berkshire hog to that OF the olden time"
properly denominated the {" rail-splitter," Or
to attempt to convince one OF our shorthorn
princes of the superiority OF q mountain
scrub" to that Of his finest Duke or
Duchess. Experience has taught those best
qualified to know that the expense attend
ant upon the propagation and rearing of
shorthorns is but little in excess of that re-
auired for our ordinary native or grade cat
tie. whilst the amount Of food consumed to
produce a given amount of flesh is tar less,
to say nothing Of the advanced price when
thrown upon the market. Nor does their
merit or superiority consist in this alone, as
they are far more thrifty, attaining greater
size and mature at an earlier age, thus ena-
bling farmers to turn or compound their
capital more speedily and oftener. That the
breeding and handling Of them will bring
far greater remuneration than any pursuit
to which they can devote their time, is evil
denced in the recent series of shOrthOrn sales
in Clark, Fayette and Bourbon counties,
where they aggregated more than a half
million Of dollars, and that, too, in the
hands of a comparative few. Of that
amount. the sales of our INSTRUMENTATION,
Clark county, exceeded two hundred thou
sand dollars one Of her enterprising citi-
zens realizing from the sale of his herd, as
we are informed u profit of forty thousand
dollars. What twenty farmers of Montgom-
cry county have realized as much in the
same time as our successful Clarke county
neighbor? Why cannot Montgomery coun-
ty farmers do likewise? They are possessed
of the same soil and facilities, have ability,
wealth and intelligence, but the painful
truth here asserts itself-they lack enter
prise and determination. Let them bestir
themselves and awaken their energies.
They have the material, and it needs only
to be quickened in life to vie with and rival
the proudest of the Blue Grass belt. We
believe that the Bourbon Fair has been a
greater incentive and stimulus to the growth
and advancement of the shorthorn interests
Of o,r adjoining counties than can be attrib-
uted to- any other cause, and that we may
be imbued with a proper spirit, and become
alive to our own Interests, we should sus.
tain a similar association that has been or
ganized in Our county, Offered and con.
Quoted by some of our most substantial, lib.
. eral, influential and intelligent farmers, wht
assure us of its permanence.
The above applies as well to this country
as it does to Kentucky. Our bunch gras
is second only to the great Blue Grass bel
in point of market. If it pays to raise short
horned cattle In Kentucky, it certainly Wi
here. There. land is high and it is to the