The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-09-28

The increase in the number and value Of
the cattle OF the United States during
the last decade has given unusual i'm
portance to u branch OF our farming
industry, which has at all times beer
considered worthy Of the highest con
sideration, The old French alage
"NIany cattle good farming few cattle pool
farming; no cattle, no farming" Is us true
now us 1t was when uttered long before the
invention and Use Of commercial fertilizer
had created u rivalry for the manure Of the
Mrn-yard and cellar The recent intro,
ductiOn OF live cattle into the list Of Ameri,
can exports has, moreover, added great.
ly TO the induCcmGnt for inCreas'
ing our herds. And in every sec
ton, on the small farm and on the
broad pastures Of the prairie, theselcctiOn,
breeding and feeding Of cattle continues ia
increase and 10 receive more and more the
care Of the husbandman. In 1880 our OK
port OF cattle rose to more than l4,0OO,0OO,
and in twenty States, not including New
York, Pennsylvania, Ohio or Kentucky, the
number OF oxen and mich cows has III
creased more than forty per cent, that Of
the latter reaching 3,675,3jl. From these
figures II wil appear that the dairy still
continues an important branch OfOur cattle
husbandry, and that while the export OF
live cattle and beef receives great attention
the demand for butter, cheese and milk il
by no means lessened, There Nre remote
gruzing lands which are useful for the pro-
duction OF beef alone, II istrue, and to them
belongs business totally different from
that which is followed in what are known
us the dairy sections Of our country, In
choosing therefore the cattle which the
American farmer Is to feed he must be gov.
erned by location and market.
IN THE SELECTION OF ALI ASIMAIs
care should be taken to secure those whose
organization is best adapted to growth,
health and thrift. The foundation of n
good herd must be well formed and well
organized animals-animNls whose bony
structure does not preponderate, and whose
organs Of nutrition are active, strong and
Of moderate proportions. A cheerful
countenanCe, fine leg, n straight back, II
deep chest, level rump, Il soft hide, all
belong TO good animal, be it steer for
the stall or II COW for the byre. Sour cOun.
tenances, flat sides, raw hips, short rimps
shallow chests, while they may beattended
with some merit, can never lie ut the
foundation Of really servicoable breed Of
cattle, no matter how attractive they may
be in color or picturesque in appearance.
Select well.shaped and thrifty animals,
whatever may be the purpose to which
they are destined.
If FOR PURE BREEDING OR CHOOSING,
the animals should possess those qualities
which have been brought to high degree
Of perfection by the long continued skill of
the breeder The accidental foundation
and development Of local breed, tho result
OF soil, climate and unbrokGn in.breeding,
in which nature and not man hns done the
work, has nothing in 1t attractive to the in
telligent and judicious husbandman. In
deed, it is seldom that true merit ever Mt
tends such crude and ill.rcgulated business
MS this. Select, then, animals OF true merit,
nodded and shaped by the breeder for q
specific purpose, and 50 well bred MS to be
able TO transmit their physical cOniorma.
ton and their functions to their descen-
dants The value Of these rules the breed.
er on the frontier recognizes when he sends
to Kentucky and Ohio for youngshOrihorn
bulls to improve his breeds and bring beef
growing ms near n certainty Ms possible. In
this way he gets tho form and quality he
desires, strengthened by generations Of
care and attention, ind lie getsa purity OF
blood which is never found TO surrender
TO the colder and less valuable strains with
which II is brought in contact For the
production Of working oxen also this Is n
good foundation, and one on which may
prohtably he engrafted the Devon and the
Hereford and other really strong breeds,
whenever cross is desirable. Get size
md thrift for the foundation, and cross, II
you do itNll, with such other qualities us
you desire.
IN CHOOSING A DAIRY DREED
the task Is more difficult. Indeed, It Is
hard to say what dairy breed is. There
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