Sharp County record., 1883-09-27
An Inviting Field for the Amateur.

It does not follow that because @
young man is the son Of farmer, and
has grown up to manhood on the farm,
he is competent to become successful
amateur breeder of the better classes OF
farm stock. Taste, and precision in
practice-and this latter qualification
comes only to those possessing tact
and iudgment-are far more necessary
than that it can be merely said OF a
Young man that he has been raised on
farm, and has been accustomed to the
routine of ordinary farm work. This
routine, in part, fits the land for grass,
thus forming the foundation for the
breeder to commence upon. 1t also puts
the grain in the bin and the hay in the
stack as a commencement for the man
who practices the higher art, namely,
that of breeding improved farm ami
mails.
A superficial view may lead a man to
imagine that the field of raising purely
bred stock is already fully occupied,
and that for any other than az expert
to enter this field is simply an act
of presumption; that there is great lia-
bility of OVERRIDING the business, and
hence good reason for caution. Now,
who ever knew of a lot of good farm
stock of any sort, no matter how appar-
emily hid away in an obscure neighbor-
hood, if of fair quality and ready for
market, for which there were not ready
buyers. This is not the case in other
lines of business, as we are constantly
confronted with announcements of over
stocking in various lines of manufacture
ing, and consequent failures, simply be-
cause there are not buyers.
Due weight is not usually given to
the fact that improving breed of do
mestic animals does not necessarily add
to their fecundity, but rather, in certain
hands, their tendency to increase is
lessened, while an important item in the
case of manufacturing rests in the in
creased facilities for turning off work.
A moments reflection will show anoth-
er point of difference in the case OF
meat-producing animals. The cost
worn may be made in day but it
wears year. The carriage used may
be made in a month or two, but may
last decade. A set of furniture, made
in a month, will last a lifetime, while
the flesh of the meat-produc;ng animal,
which it has taken from one to three or
four years to grow and prepare for
market, is consume in day.
So, upon these reasons in part, the
breeding of the higher types of do
mestic animals may be put forward as
one of the best fields, if not the very
best, for capital; provided always that
the investments an the management are
guided by the highest order of taste,
business tact and energy. It is not an
insurmountable barrier for young man
with means and taste that way, to say
that he is not acquainted with the bust
ness, because all lines of business
abound with experts, whose knowledge
can be successfully drawn from. Per-
haps there is no class of business men
who can so well be relied upon to give
oninions and ad1ioa tn -hag;,>- -
breeders of improved stock; and this,
too, without hope of pecuniary reward,
The beginner, if he wishes to master
the business in all its aspects, should
familiarize himself with the leading
stock literature, that referring to the
past as well as that relating to the pres
ent. The young men at the desk, or
behind the counter, having means, and
a taste for outdoor pursuits, with an
esnecia1 likino for the business referred
to, may enter the field as safely as he
that has been reared with his hand upon
the handle of the plow. His means,
under proper advice can, as a rule, be
far more safely placed than in manu-
featuring, Or in any mercantile pursuit
If he secures the lest, whether cattle,
horses, sheep, or swine, he gets the ad-
vantages of other mems years OF sue
cessful effort; whereas if he takes up
with the culls, he pays good money for
other mems mistakes and failures.-NG'
7 To,y1a1oI