The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1881-09-11
EXPERIMENTS IN OSSING

lbS I'D toelr progeny Tue CesIho'O
points oil both, without the detects OF
either. At this time few suggestions
upon this matter are opporIune, fer
those who have not given it the
thought 1t deserved are prone to re-
peat the COMMON error OF trying to
create y new and Improved race or
variety OF animals by crossing AMI
mails of different breeds We repeat,
therefore, what mas often been SAID
substantially in our columns, and
demonstrated in the experience oil
farmers and stock-raisers times with
out number, that there are thou
sand chances VI failure to one OF
success. TO suppose that the ideal oil
perfection, which q farmer discovers
10 combining the desirable character
lstlcs Of the EWo animals OF different
breeds, can be secured In one or lUo
or half dozen crosses OF them and
! their progeny ls q great mistake. and
unless he fsSls that he has bad special
training for this department OF breed
ing and has made up his mind that
ne will make il his iifa-work II Is
unwise to attempt it, As another
sptly puts this thought, lit is mis-
take to suppose that the breed Of
short horn cattle Wss q creation Oi
the Ceilings and their contemporSr-
les; they only claimed to have i'm
proved an established breed. Even
BakewelI, who perhaps had deeper
insight into the mysteries Of breeding
tnau either of the Ceilings and who
certainly accomplish ed greater results
In II shorter time than any other man
has done. never proiessed or at
ten pied more than to improve breeds
already we'll established" To pro-
duce breed OF any description, With
characters go firmly fixed as to tfans.
NIT them with but slight deviation
requires an expenditure OF skill and
time and money On the improve
ments and selection and treatment of
the stock ss may we'll cause almost
any man to pause, even, with long
life before him and fortuitous sur
roundings in the shape of ample
means, previous training in stock
breeding and special aptitude for the
business.
The truth may be unpslAtable
sometimes, nevertheless it is better to
recognise it-state it fairly and profit
by it. Tbs number of farmers who
have given the subject sufficient
attention or study, is comparatively
few. They are net converssnt with
the historical literature OF stock-Iais
ing, and although many of them are
close observers and exercise gsod
judgment in matters pertaining TO
their calling generally, 1t is plain
that in SONS OF the most important
lessons Of experience gained IN the
past, atom by atom, through more
than a century OF patient study and
practical effort, in producing the im-
proved breeds, very many arr def
cient. We see this fac. demon.
strated every year. For illustration.
at isir farmer who has breed OF
hogs which ne wishes 20 improve In
two or three particulars discovers in
an animal OF another breed the exact
penis he desires to secure. The two
breeds are quite dissimilar in most OF
their characteristics, bat he is anxious
to sDgrait upon hIs stock 3 nsAtcr
head, little better shoulder, and
more strength of leg, and finding
these points in an animal that msy
MT in others suit his fancy. be buys
this animal to cross upon those he
has at fhome, hoping thereby to rea-
lie his ideal in the pr0geoy. But, 90
any scientific breeder could bsve told
him, and as he would have known
had he possessed the information
gained from past experience-and
which has been preserved in the
literature Of this business b th in
agricultural books and periodicals.
the result is anything but sa fsc:ory. |
Instead OF obtaining in the progeny
his ideal when he made the cross-a !
litter Of pigs with the points be bred |
for and With none of the defects of |
either parent-he gets mixed lot, |
without uniformity, some being a |
near approach TO one breed and some
very like the other. Who can tell |
what the offspring OF this progeny of
the first cross would be? ibis in
stance is not q 6ction; it is an expert
ence that is repeated substantially
year after year by scores of men.
1t is an encouraging sign OF the
times that the majority OF farmers
recognize the advantages OF good |
stock. He WOO Co.'s not do 80, will |
be left behind, in product and in
purse, for bis more intelligent and |
progressive Deighbor who turns the
capital employed more frequently
with q better quality and enhanced |
value of live stock. will make two dol |
lara Where be will hardly pay ex-
pepsss.
While We earnestly urge farmers
to improve their stock. We would urge
them with just as much esrnestness
10 avoid those experiments in crossing |
where knowledge in breeding, study
ard ability are more likely to fail
than to succeed, and where Success,
even if il ia resched is the result only
~ Ef,kiro1 oGo.k L.