The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-10-05
HOME, FARM AND RANCH.

GOOD SEED.-In selecting seed for
any crop, select only the best. This
rule is applicable to everything
planted, but is of the utmost impor-
lance to such as wheat, rye, oats, bar
is made leading crop. Nor is the
best seed only an important element,
but cleanliness too. Fan out every
weed seed, every poor or shriveled
seed, then sift until only the largest,
plumpest grains are left. If it is to
be saved until spriPg, see that 1T is
out of the reach of vermin and of
frost.
How BREEDS ARE FoRMED.-An |
inquirer writing to the Breeders
Gazette, says: | would like to know |
how to get a thoroughbred, or in
other words, distinct breed, and
that paper, after some preliminary
remarks, replies to him as follows:
"It a common mare be bred to a
strictly thoroughbred horse, the pro-
duce is half blood. By continuing
this process, each time breeding the
produce to a thoroughbred, until
you reach five CT osses, under the
American rule, the produce would
be entitled to registry as thor
oughbred, and would be entitled to
compete for premiums offered
for thoroughbred horses. But in
England horse is not regarded as
a thoroughbred, and is not accorded
a place in the stud book, unless his
lineage can be traced in unbroken
znaoao1i@,, aud n VT
to Oriental blood.
With cattle in the United States
the usage is not so uniform. No
amount of crossing with pure blood
will entitle an animal to entry in the
Jersey Herd Registry. 1t must be
purely-bred animal, imported direct
from the isle of Jersey, under GER
tain restriction, or descended, on
both sides, from imported and
recorded sire and dam, with
out any admixture whatever
of alien or unrecorded blood,
or it is not recognized as
a thoroughbred Jersey. With short
horns the regulations are somewhat
different in the two herd books.
| The American Herd Book is con-
| Quoted under the rule adopted by
| the American association of short
horn breeders at indianapolis, sew
eral years ago, which is as follows:
| ReSOLred, That the ancestry of the
animals should be traced on both
sides to important animals Short
hOrns), or to those heretofore re-
corded in the American Herd Book,
with pedigrees not false or spurious,
before they can be entitled TO regis
try.
This rule was amended, a few
| years later by the same association,
by the adoption OF a vague and alb
-cUrely wordcd resolution, which,
being Interpreted, means, if it means
anything, but as follows: If animals
that were hot eligibly under the
above rule have, by accident or over
sight, been once recorded i'll the
American herd book, no matter
how far short they may have come
of filling the required standard, the
| descendants OF animals wrOngfully
recorded may be admitted provided
five crosses ofrecorded or recordable
blood can be shown, in the case of fe-
males and six such crosses for bulls.
Subsequently, however. this associa-
ZION rescinded all its rules, leaving
the whole matter in the hands of the
publishers of the herd books; and
the publishers of the American
Herd Book have announced that
they will be governed in the future
by the rule as amended above.
| Under this rule as amended, our
correspondent may commence with
thoroughbred bull and common
COW, and he may use nothing but
thoroughbred bulls on the produce
for twenty generations, and it would
still not be entitled to an entry
in an American Short horn Herd
Book unless the common COW with
which he commences has, by
place in the record but as this herd
book was established many years
prior to the adoption Of the Indian
apolis rule, contains many animals
that would not have been entitled
to registry under this rule, the effect
of the foregoing regulation is to au-
thorize the recording of the descend
ants of such ANIMALS without regard
to the eligibility of their ancestors.
The rule adopted by the short
horn record is still more rigorous.
Nothing is admitted to this record
that cannot trace in unbroken
succession, without admixturei
to immortal sire and dam
The English Short horn Herd
Book, which is controlled by an as
ISOLATION of short-horn breeders, is
conducted upon a different basis.
Cows showing four crosses of APP
proved short-horn blood, and bulls
with five such crosses, are admitted
to registry aud are classed as thor
oughbred short-horns The Cana
dian ShOTt-ho Herd BOOk has been
conducted under the same rule as
the English, but recently more
strict construction has been adopted.
| We think our correspondent will
find the foregoing a full answer to
his question. 1t will be seen that
the simple fact that an animal Is
| registered does not make it a thor
oughbred; but it is perhaps
safe TO assume that, if an AMI
NAL is entered in given register,
the editor has investigated the al
legged pedigree, and that it is eligi-
bic under the rule adopted for his
government; and. in proportion, as
the editor is known to be careful,
( accurate and strict in the enforce
ment OF this rule, is the recorded
I pedigree to be relied upon as coming
up to the required standard. But it
should be borne in mind that the
stud books and the herd books are
used only as convenient places for
recording pedigrees, and the breeder
must look to the pedigree itself, and
trace it through all of its collateral
lines before he can decide as TO its
value.
MERINO SHEEP This variety
of sheep were imported originally
into France and Spain. They
were placed upon the govern
ment farm at Rambouillet, where
every care was given them, and the
greatest attention paid to increasing
their produce of fleece. After years
of experimenting, the animals were
increased in size and weight nearly
one hundred per cent, and the wool
from twenty to twenty-five. The
fibre did not improve as was desired,
but the attempt to combine in the
same animal meat qualities as well
as wool-bearing ones was as
signed as the reason. During