The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-07-28


Henry Stewart, in the n. y. Times,
offers arguments OH the worta of pcdi-
grees, as follows:
1T is q maxim among breeders that
like produces like and every farmer
knows and appreciates this truth. If n
Young animal iskept to increase the
taG's stick il ta tie p 9s bee! Of The best
lamb of the best eve, the best of the lit
ter of pigs; or it should @ for it is not
always that this wise course is pursued
by farmers if it were, there would be
10 reason for this writing, the purpose
of which is TO induce farmers to be more
particular in the selection and breeding
their stock than they, in great meas
ure, are, and to show them asSar as
possible with what profit this greater
care may be exercised. When we con-
slider the value of the products of care
full bred herds or flocks and the much
smaller value realized from those of the
ordinary character, the profit OF the one
Kind and the loss of the other become
very apparent. 1t is very certain that
u one farmer. at no more expense or
labor, realizes 500 por head from, his
cows, or 81 head from his sheep, or
~ from each OF his hens, while another
realizes one-half or third as much
from his stock, the difference is loss
10 the latter. This is clear, because
gain that might be made, but is missed,
Is as much loss as if so much money
dropped from persons pocket, and
could not be recovered, or was spent in
losing stock speculation. II is a
matter that may be easily proved, il
questioned, that the most profitable
herds aud flocks are those which are
selected aud bred with view to their
Improvement. One noted dairyman
has raised Ills yield OF milk to 6 900
pounds per head yearly; another has a
record OF 250 pounds OF butter per COW
another, by improvement entirely with
in his own herd, produces an average
OF 800 pounds OF butter per COW: and
similar cases are to be found among
ordinary working farmers on every
hand. 1t is not TO be supposed that
these improvements make themselves
by merely keeping herd within itself,
and raising every cali or every lamb
on the contrary, it is done by always
fresh stock. But it is apparent thai one
must have record to know which are
the best, and to trace these through
several generations, and that this re.
cord must be closely studied and com
pared. This is the foundation of n
recorded pedigree, and it is clear thai
this use OF the pedigree gives il great
value, Ia fact, that il Is indispensabIe
to success IN rearing improved stock,
oven when person confines his work
flock.
''But one must necessarily go outside
OF bis own stock 10 begin TO carry on |
course of Improvement, and then the
full value ofa pedigree appears. When |
one Is spending money he wants TO get |
the most for IL, and when he is pnrchas.
ing breeding animal for the improve
ment.f his stock he shonld be very |
careful to get the best animal he can
for his money. Bnt without searching
the pedigree he has nothing but appear
ances to guide him in his selection, ard
appearances often deceive the best
Judges. IL ia rare, however, that an
animal goes back on its ancestry.
There may be falling off In one indi-
viduai, AS there may be "a black sheep
In every flock as there may be bad
boy In some good families, bat the cur
rent is only turned aside BY a temporary
obstruction, as icwere, and flows on
when this 10 passed, broad and deep as
ever, for. there are cases inIwhich even
. black sheep mas done the best service
Ia improving a white flock, as Mr..
Blackwell proved In his history; and
we may all remember what remarkable
men some temporarily bad boys have
turned ont 10 be. blood will tell in
spite OF occasional exceptions, and 1t is