The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-01-06
A Successful St0ck.Raiser Says u
Word.

Editors Dispatch: Iendorse the remarks
said to have been made By member OF the
uenrico or Tuckahoe Agricultural Club,
that these two facts should be strongly i'm.
ressed upon farmers generally-viz.: First
the importance to the farmer OF saving and
persevering in the use Of homemade ma.
nures; and second, "of feeding and taking
care of domestic animals in an intelligent
and kind manner" and l agree with him
that the lands have deteriorated and crops
been diminished from neglect OF the do
mestic sources of fertilization. But dis
sent in toto, and beg leave to take exception
to some Of his other remarks and sugges-
tions, and do not agree either with hlm or
yourself "that the introduction OF I'M
proved stock and hogs at the fairs had es-
tablished great delusion in the counSry. ~
Now, this is directly contrary to the expe.
rience Of all who have purchased improved
stock, and have fairly tried them; ana you
can find none who make practice "o1
feeding and taking care Of domestic AMI.
mails in an intelligent and kind manner -
but will unite with me in asserting Z" That
they had only to buy improved stock u
especially hogs, "to obtain anlmals Ina!
would fatten on little, and fatten quick. -
But no one could expect otherwise than that
the result with all persons aoho neglectea
stock would be that the improved breeds
would soon be inferior to their former
stock, which had been accustomed 10 nara
usaqe, and had learned ho,o to SHIFT Jor
itself. 1 also concur with you in saying
"thee truth that farmers must learn is that
neglected animals, meanly or nobly bred,
cannot appear 1reU" GtalicS mine). Now, |
contend that none should keep live stock of
anv kind who give it "hard usage" or
allow it ''to shift for itself"; but should
any persist in doing so, would advise such
by all means to avail themselves OF the pure
native "scrub" cattle, and Of the fiddle
head, razor-back, pine-rootnS breed OF
swine, as they will be able to sui
sist longer under such treatment than
those of any other breed. But you will
both find yourselves vastly mistaken, upon
4 practical test, in your assertion
that out of such stock, "by careful
handling and a plenty of good food, any
farmer can soon make for himself rs fine
animals as he need to have" Such asSer-
tions as those made in the Sdnctunl, il car.
ried out practically on the farm, would be
a most fatal error, and would put stop
at once to all immediate improvement
in all kinds Of live stock. With the
best of treatment and selections, you would
not be able in q whole generation to form
such a race OF dairy cattle from our native
stock as the Alderney or Jersey now are.
On the contrary, if our meanest native or
scrub COWS are bred to pure Alderney
bull, the improvement would commence at
once, and IN less than five years an entire
new herd of grade dairy cows could be pro-
duced-such as could not be produced in a
lifetime by the most careful {" handling and
a plenty of good food" BY getting an
other pure cross, you would get three
fourths blood stock, adapted to your farm !;
which, for all practical purposes on a ma
jority of farms, would answer as we'll as
thoroughbreds. The same can be done
with sheep and swine.
I hope you will pardon me, Messrs. Ed
itors, for the copious extracts taken from
your editorial, which 1 could not well avoid;
and my only apology must be that found
your artillery in position, with an abund-
ance Of ammunition, which flattered my
self could be easily turned against you, and
used to greater effect than anything could
bring to bear against you. A. p. r.
FREDERICKSBURG, January 8, 1877.