American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-02-28

RAISING CALVES FOR THE DAIRY
The improvement of dairy stock must
begin at the foundation. An idea
prevails that it is very expensive
process to improve stock. But, on the
contrary, it costs nothing but care. and
attention, and there is no more profit
able exercise of labor than this.
With proper care and trdining, stock
will improve itself, and dairyman may
double the money product of his herd
in few years without the
cost of one dollar in cash.
He must begin with his calves.
In every herd there are cows that are
better than others; but a poor cow may
/ produce good calf just as easily as a
good cow may have a poor calf. Like
does not always produce like" If it
did, the science or art of breeding
would be merely one that could be
carried on by the use of money and
| brains; common sense and experience
would count for nothing against man
with well filed purse. All that would
then be required would be for a rich
man to buy up all the best animals and
produce from them the most valuable
produce. But facts tend otherwise
Wealthy purchasers, ambitious to exec
as breeders, procure the choicest animal.
from the herds of working and expe
prizes and make all the money in the
future But invariably disappoint
ment attends these ventures, I'M
less in those rare cases WHERE
the technical skill and natural tao
goes with the money. A goot
breeder starts with few selected ami
mails, and in time has herd that excel
in every valuable characteristic, and tina
attracts purchasers from all quarters
This is the history, in short, of ever.
noted herd that has made its mark an,
the reputation of its owner. Unfor
tunately, through repeated wrong teach
ing, the whole business of stock i'm
provement has been forced into wron.
channels; wrong ideas have been ere
ated, and much mischief and disap
pointment have been inflicted upon mis-
led persons. 1t has been advised tina
the way to improve farm stock is to pur
chase some pure-bred animals from
show herds, whose record has bee
perhaps greatly magnified. Disappoint
ment and loss have almost invariabl
occurred. Purchasers of costly animal
have found them to deteriorate on thei
hands, and to- be of no more value tina
their common stock. This has been tn
result in many cases of a want of know
edge of the care required to keep up tn
condition of animals that have bee
forced from their birth, and of the us
of the concentrated foods upon whic
they have been fed. The mania TO
pedigree, which in reality meant moth
ing, and which was valueless, furthe
helped the excitement and has increases
the disappointment. 1t is now a YER
common thing for farmers to treat wha
they call fancy stock very scorn
fully, as fit playthings for wealth
men, but profitless for the workin,
farmer. Time and truth will eventuall
remove the false part of this impression
but will confirm what there is of it tina
is true. This idea, then, having bee
exploded, something must be done t.
reach the desired point of improvement
which has not yet been attained: AM
this must be the work of the farmer
themselves, and must begin within thei
own herds. Some help will be requires
| in ha of
pure-bred bulls selected from good herd
with which to produce better calves.
beginning can be made at once, at thi
season, when calves are coming, b,
keeping the most promising heifers in