The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1882-12-21
BOW TO BUY sHORT-HoRNs.
Some Valuable Advice by Veteran Wsstern
Breeder

men but all other breeders OF cattle
should note carefully, was written for
the Kansas Farmer by one of the old
est and best known breeders in the
West. We reproduce il here and ask
every one of our readers to give it
careful perusal. He says:
ave have long seen the need OF
greater degree of care and caution in
the business of selecting and purchas-
ing young Short-horns for purposes OF
breeding with each other and of cross
ing upon the native COW of our western
prairie. There are, in the main, two
great points 10 be guarded against, to
wit: First, of error in Judgment as to
the merits of the animal offered for sale,
either publicly or privately; second, OF
not being acquainted with all the points
which are required TO make up good
straight pedigree-one that is record
able in any or all of the herd-books
now published, or hereafter to be pub
lished, in America.
Gas TO the first error, we will not be
so egotistical as to in any way set up
oar own judgment as standard as to
size. color, or particular form of a
Short-horn. which would fill every
mans eye; but we will repeat some
points which are, we believe, recog-
nized everywhere among good breed
ers of these cattle to be essential to a
model Short-horn, viz: Straight upper
and lower lines, and almost perpendic-
ular lines before, with broad back, eX-
tending up over the crops, deep down
the twist, well sprung or barrel ribs,
wide between the eyes, and the eye es-
pecially should be mild in the female
muzzle well tapered, short and free
from black or brindle, and, If bull,
ought to reach at least 900 pounds at
twelve months old, heifers not less than
200 pounds, and as much more as you
can get them to weigh. Some fine
specimens will weigh as much as 200
for bulls and 900 for heifers. If you
buv. don't select snch specimens that
thew viii have to be labelled TO know
10 what breed of cattle they belong
but purchase such noble specimens that
as YOU carry them home the farmers
will be drawn out of their barns and
houses to look at them as they pass on
the highway-yes and exclaim, What
fine cattle are coming to Kansas! On
the other hand, if you have bought
some of the kind which requires label
ling, the intelligent and well informed
farmer, and especially the well informed
breeders. will exclaim, why did that
man 90 and buy such an animal TO dis
grace the good name of Kansas with! 2
Some one had it for sale, and as it had
neither pedigree nor form TO recon-
mend il at home, he brought il out here
to sell 10 some unsuspecting Kansas
farmer, who is supposed by some fur
Their east to know nothing in regard TO
pedigrees, and not very much in regard
TO the individual merit of animals that
are peddled around like so many tur-
KEYS or chickens. Often those who
have bought them up in lots of ten or
more all over Missouri, Illinois, lndi-
ana, Ohio and Kentucky, without ped
igrecs, come out TO Kansas and have a
whole string Of names and numbers
attached to each individual calf. 1t is
high time that this business be stopped,
which would give fair chance to the
legitimate breeder as well as TO the
buyers. Should such men come around
peddling out their calves, bought by
wholesale as well as retail all over the
country, where they have no chance,
themselves, of verifying the pedigree?
How can such dealers ask our honest,
hard-toiling farmers to put their hard
earned money into such stuff, when
these same farmers could go to the
homes of responsible breeders, and there
see the dams and sires of The young
stock for sale? This course would al
WAYS insure more satisfaction TO the
buyer at least. II this course was pur-
sued Kansas would soon be rid of cat |
tie peddlers, and be filed with good
bulls that would improve the beef of
the State one hundred per cent. in a
short time.
"Let us turn q moment 10 discuss the |
method of judging the piece of paper
which these men have representing the
pedigrees of these narrow, gimlet-ended
things which are being peddled out.
First, see in what volume these animals
are recorded-page and number. And
right here the herd-book would be the
best evidence of the straightness of the
pedigree, and it would pay the seeker to
carry it along if his animals are worthy
of a pedigree. If these peddlers can
not muster herd-book, suspicion com
menees 10 attach TO their cattle in point |
Of recordable pedigrees. In such cases
pull the herd-book rules on them, viz !:
Where is the dam and sire recorded ?
Let it appear which purports to repre-
resent the pedigree of the animal which |
Stands before you. If the pedigree is
in the handwriting of the cattle peddler,
let the buyer put his inquiries little
further, and ask for a certificate, &C.
knowledged in proper form, that GER
tain named red or roam calf was bred
by John Smith, such place, and that
the animal is so sold, and that the pedi-
gree is correct as represented. This
kind of a document being produced,
examine il and see if there appears an
imported cow and bull in the string of
names. IL there is not, you had better
let the animal remain on the peddler's
string. And we say again, even if the
proper pedigree is furnished, that if
the ANNA! don't come up in the neigh
bo:hood of the outline we drew at the
commencement of this article, you far
mers had better LET the shadow of a
Short-horn pass for the tiIne being, and
20 TO some places where Short-horns
are bred and raised by men who take
pride in their herds, and there make
selection, for il is all-important that an
animal. either 10 breed on 10 thorough
bred cows or natives, should be of fine
form and size az well as pure in blood,
if an Improvement i expected in the
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