Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1876-04-06
STOCK RAISIN G..
sHORTHoRN

OuuSC collC III Ilo duulCSS uCllFCIcu UolOIC
the American Shorthorn convention, recent
ly held in Toronto, will be of interest to our
shorthorn breeders:
Ibeg the indulgence of the convention
for a moment longer, to add a word or two
in reference to the public registry of pedi-
grees, because I conceive it to be so init
mately connected with the main point |
have attempted to urge in these observa-
tons, to-Wit: The practical utility of our
vocation as breeders of shorthorn cattle.
As we have seen, a succession of good an
cestors insures excellence in our stock, and
the account of such succession is furnished
by the pedigree. The written pedigree and
its registry, though of recent origin, have
been found very important aids in the i'm
provemcnt OF livestock. The idea that the
publisher of such register had the right to
determine what was and what was not thor
oughbred, is quite modern and it is amaz-
ing that a private individual should assume
such authority. In the beginning, the pedi-
grees of all animals that were claimed to be-
long to, the race were recorded without any
other. condition or restriction, than that
they should be accurate and truthful. But
it was found that generally only such pedi-
grees were presented as showed good breed
ing-say four or five crosses of bulls of rec
ognized merit. And thus, by a sort of gem
eral consent of the breeders, this number of
crosses came to be regarded as the mini
mum that would justify the application of
f1n form IS h1cpI - in tln capca hafnra
planned. The same custom was observed in
the registration Of the lineage of thorough
bred horses.
This liberality resulted from the judicious
method so often observed by our British
friends in dealing with public questions.
That is, instead Of pressing arbitrary enact
ments in advance of public necessity, their
practice has been, in many instances to al
low custom to ripen into law, thus i~nsrring
q code, founded upon great principles, de
ducible from the necessities of the people.
In this case the custom was based upon the
most intelligent understanding of the public
policy involved.
The practice of Keeping written pedigrees
and their public registration was found to
have a marked influence in stimulating i'm
provement in the care and management of
stock, and, therefore, it was obviously inn.
portant that as large a proportion of breed
ers as possible should be encouraged to re-
cord their pedigrees. 1t was also known
hat every animal of approved excellence,
and of such breeding as would perpetuate
fhot nxaa11anan o,,obt RI hn ,oeorx,ol fo.
use as a breeder.
Here, then, we had two powerful reasons,
founded upon considerations Of public poll
cy, demanding the adoption. OF the most lib
eral rule for the admission of pedigrees to
the public record, Experience has demon
strated that four or five crosses of an estab-
lished race would fnsure,the presence of the
race, with reasonable uniformity, inthe sub
sequent progeny. This, therefore, was es-
tablished as the minimum from which the
recorded pedigree should begin. The breed,
ing, of course, advancing with each subse-
quent cross, nearer and nearer, to the abso-
lutte purity of blood that is SO. much talked
Of, but never realized!
The Great Shorthorn Society of Britain
has recently, by unanimous vote, Endorsed
and approved this liberal rule, and resolved
that it shall apply to the publication of the
National Herd Book now owned by the As
ISOLATION. Is it possible that any considera-
bic number of American breeders, in the
face of all this, will insist upon or defend
the harsh requisition, in all crosses, of con-
nection with imported animals, though it
require q oenealogY Of twenty oeneratinns