The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1878-12-05

We hazard nothing, we think, In
asserting that there is no State that
will equal the young commonwealth
of Kansas in the uniformly good quail
ity Of it's cattle. We seldom find any
other than short-horn grades in the
State. In the matter of improving
the horned cattle of the State, we shave
heard some Of our observant citizens re
mark that the grasshopper year Of 1874
was q blessing in disguise. The seal
wag breeds, which before that disas-
trous period, were numerous, were
generally driven out of the State, and
the returning tide of immigration
brought back none but the better class
of stock. There is probably some
foundation for this theory, but there
is far more potent cause for the
marked superiority of the average
horned farm stock, aud we must seek
tor it in the numerous fine herds Of
full-blood short-horns which enter
prising breeders have established in
the State. Some Of the finest short
horns in the country, are TO be found
in Kansas, and the number is being in
creased every year. These pure bloods
are scattered among the farmers, who
are enabled at least to purchase fine.
blooded animals of this superior breed
at moderate prices, from which to
breed for beef. The era of specula-
ton in short-horns has had disas.
trous termination, sharing in this re-
spect the fate of all speculative bust
ness, and the public is now able to
reap large benefits from the careful
breeding of those men who SO long la
bored in the business Of creating this
superior breed Of cattle.
The next step requisite to perfect
the cattle of the prairie regions, which.
being SO far from shipping points and
the large markets OF the east, 1t be-
comes necessary TO car long distances,
when numbers are crowded into box
es, with little room for comfort. In
these confined quarters the animals
horns arc great hindrance to his COM
fort, also an inconvenience and injury
to his companions in the same car.
When numbers are crowded into
one car, stable or yard, it would be of
influite value if we had breed with
out horns. This Improvement seems
entirely feasible, and, without being
at the expense of lowering the stand.
ard of short.horn grades. The polled
cattle of Scotland stand the peers of
the short horns n beef-producing quail
itics, and, it is claimed, their superb
ors in impressing their characters on
their crosses. At the Paris exhibit
ton they contested for the prize sue.
cessfully against some of the best bred
short-horns in the British Isles. The
short-horn, in fact, may be said TO be
almost a pollcd animal, his horns be-
ing the most insignificant: of all the
horned breeds of cattle. CrOs ling
| with the Galloway cattle would doubt
less soon deprive the breed OF the moi
ETY. of horns they possess and be the
means of getting rid of that danger
Gus weapon, no longer of use to the
domestic OK, and which is maintained
at very great expense to the feeder
aud breeder. Sailing and tying up is
made necessary in the stable solely on
account of each animal being armed
with pair of very dangerous swords
which he never scruples TO use to the
imjur, of his weaker fellows, and to
the cost of his owners. A herd of
polled cattle could be crowded into a
car, yard or stable, without any dan
ger of injuring each other-an newt
able result with horned breed.
The breeder who will bring some
thoroughbred Galloway cattle into
Kansas will doubtless reap rich re-
ward and prove a benefactor to the
stock -raiscrs of the West. The breeds
are exciting considerable interest re-
Gently, their great excellence being
universally admitted by those who
have opportunities and qualifications
to form correct judgment, and we
predict that the breed, ere long, will
be brought to the front, coupled with
the short-horn, and the advanced step
in breeding hornless cattle will mark
a new epoch in the stock business of
the West.-KGasaS Farmer.