Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-04-06
For the Bulletin.
THOROUGHBRED VS.. SCRUB STOCK.
Some Valuable Suggestions from an In
telligent and Successful Breeder.

Some Valuable Suggestions from an In
telligent and Successful Breeder.
WEST BUFFALO Stock FARM, March
%, 1877---MR EDIToR:-On seeing the
note in the BULLETIN headed Scrub
Bulls" it occurred to me that few re-
marks on the general cattle interest of
Buchanan County will not be out Of or
der, but may be beneficial, and more
particularly so in connection with our
coming County Fair. We have deter
mined to make the next County FAIR a
success. We will promise to fill every
available stall and pig pen with good ami
mails, not stall fed, but such Us good farm
crs will be pleased TO look at, and we
feel safe to say that every other interest
will fully compare with the full stalls and
pens of stock We will sec that every
interest is looked after from the squash
to the 2: 80 horse trot, believing firmly
that all must be looked after to make
successful fair.
1t is perhaps well settled fact that the
tastes of the people cannot be prescribed.
1t is also impossible to get all to enjoy
the same amusement. Some like the
beautiful or ornamental, some only the
useful. We find that fashion and fancy
are as essential to some as the useful is
to others. Now what can be done to
please all? l answer, blend them, that
each one may be interested But some
will say, the 'hoss" race and ''hoss' trot
are immoral and will have bad effect.
l answer, not necessarily so; all may be
conducted SO orderly and so systemati-
cally and quietly as to attract even the at
tention of good men, With such rules
we can succeed.
AS to the Floral Department, judging
from the past, there is nothing to fear.
The ladies always play their part well.
Neither is there any doubt but the me-
chanical interest will be looked after.
The object will be to have good time.
Now Mr., Editor, y few words on the
subject that prompted this article. You
charge the man that owns scrub bull
with being an enemy to agricultural pro-
gress. The charge is Il very moderate
one. No man that consults his own in-
terest will be satisfied with scrub bull.
l go further and say no man up with the
times will be satisfied with any but
Thoroughbred. Many that call them
selves progressive and in favor of i'm
provement, are satisfied with grade bull.
l concede q grade bull to be better than
scrub, for the reason that he is better
bred. Now, if one cross improves will
not the end? If so will not the 3rd, and
SO on? Yes, every good cross improves
until the animal becomes SO we'll bred
that they have the power to transmit
their own qualities with degree of GER
tainty. Now, the more prepotent all ami
NAL the more valuable, for the very reas-
on that they have more power to trans
nit than an animal with less good blood.
blood will tell Now, brother farmers,
you all think good grade animal better
than scrub, and as improvement is I'M
limited don't stop with a half or three
fourths or seven-cights bred animal, be-
cause they are not as good. But you
will, no doubt, call to mind some grade
animal that you know that is a better in
dividual than some thoroughbred you
know Of That may be true by accident,
but in all probability he is not worth one
half as much for the reason that both
will breed back, and in the one case will
run into good blood and good animals,
while in the other they run out into
scrubs, as each animal has the blood of
his parents. Now you can readily see
the difference. You know the iniquities
run to the third and fourth generations,
and why not the fitness as well. No
doubt the fashion of pedigree is carried
to extremes by some, but there is no good
reason for going back while your object
is to improve. To illustrate: What
would you think of the farmer that would
pay $500 for a bull and grade up a nice
lot of heifers, and then get pure scrub
bull and use on them? Would that be
travelling up or down? Now this brings
me to the point. The man that starts out
to improve, if he be a man of enterprise,
will every time, try to get something bet
ter than he has. For instance, if his
cattle have narrow or fiat ribs and sharp
backs, he will get bull with wide ribs
and back. Now comes IN again the ne
cessity of good blood or he can't know
that the animal will transmit his good
points to his offspring (To fail would be
destructive.) Now you will readily I'M
derstand why breeders pay such enor
nous prices for particular families and
animals. The wonder is, while men are
struggling for the highest blood, (of
course some of it fancy,) the farmer calls
himself progressive, yes, would be offend
ed to be called other than progressive,
entirely cverlooks his own interest. The
farmer takes no risk in improving his
cattle, as has already been demonstrated
many times. Only one year since, sold |
half blood steers, bred from common
cows, that averaged 1850 lbs. They
sold on an average, for 1880, and
were about % years old, In conclusion
let me say the time for keeping scrubs |
expired when our prairics were fenced
No good excuse remains for the intelli- |
gent fal mer keeping scrubs now.