The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-10-25
THOROUGHBRED STOCK.

THOROUGHBRED STOCK.
The late exhibition of thoroughbred
stock of all kinds at the fair, shows
a growing interest in fine stock;
still there are people who assert that
thoroughbred or registered stock is
no better than any other stock; that
"type and ink make an animal no
better than it otherwise would be,
and that they are used only to give a
fictitious value" An agricultural
exchange has this to say on this most
important subject:
No one claims that the fact of regis
try multiplieS or strengthens the
merit of the animal. The history of
the world does not create the events
of history, it simply tells what those
events were; and registery simply tells
where the animal came from. A
thoroughbred animal is just as good
in itself without registry, as it is with.
But how are we to know that? Here
is an animal, perhaps, whose breeder
declares to be perfect. He says it is
thoroughbred, and entitled to registry,
but declines to give the pedigree.
That is of no value he argues, in fact,
the herd books are frauds, he declares.
Now who would buy the animal
Who among even the objectors to
registered stock would touch such an
animal under such representations.
But, says the amateur, the breeder
may give the pedigree, without going
to a registry. The answer to that is,
if the pedigree is worth anything, it
will run back to registered stock, and,
if the breeding has been pure, the ami
NAL is entitled to registry. If the
breeding has not been straight, the
animal is a grade, and must be sold
and bought as such. All the best
stock in TIE country is registered, be-
cause tie general public demands to
know the history of an animal when
it is offered for sale, and registered
cause, and only because, the herd
chaser is getting when he buys.
1t is to be taken for granted that
every man recognizes the established
principles of breeding; that he ac-
knowledges that there is such thing
as prepotency, and, acknowledging
that, that he knows that unpedigreed
stock may produce it's like or may not.
If this well-known truth is not recog
nized, the only advice to be given is,
to keep out of stock-breeding. But it
is recognized, for it can not help
being. And that recognition settles
the matter concerning the value of
registered stock, for the register tells
what We may confidently expect of
the male or female. In themselves,
standing side by side, the difference
between thoroughbreds and grades, or
even common stock, may not be so
observable, or it may be that the lat
ter would receive the preference.
Even such decision, however, would
be erroneous, for there is no sort of
doubt that the meats of our improved
stock are vastly superior, being more
palatable and more nutritious than
the meat of common stock. We
say this, as indeed we write
this whole article, for the benefit of
those who have not had experience.
1t has been demonstrated by careful
experiment that beef from our i'm
proved breeds of cattle is worth many
per cent more than that from our
common and grade cattle; and it is a
fact which large experience and a
more intimate knowledge of the sub
ject will yet make generally known.
that very large proportion of our
common grades of beef is absolutely
worthless, being as devoid of nutri-
ment as sawdust. So in itself the
thoroughbred is the best animal in
any comparison; but its chief point is
it's ability to reproduce itself, and
thus make the breeding of stock
certainty.
Every drop of thoroughbred blood
that is infused into our stock is profit
able. 1t is not always practicable for
a farmer to enter upon thorough
breeding, but it is generally practic-
able for him to grade up, and no
farmer who tries it will ever regret it.
A thoroughbred male of all kinds of
stock will be q most excellent invest
ment for the general farmer; and
where for any reason the purchaser of
a thoroughbred by an individual is not
desirable, number of farmers in a
neighborhood might join together and
make the purchase. And where it is
not practicable-and in some cases it
is MOTTO procure such an animal, or
its services, the only advice is to be
given is to breed up, as well as it can
be done by the selection that can be
made either from the farmers own
here, or from other herds in the neigh
borhood.
The greatest agency for teaching
these important truths as to breeding
is to be found in these fairs, where
the best live stock is placed on exhibit
ton. Hence to subserve the greatest
public good great consideration should
be shown by the directors of fairs to
live stock exhibits. There is not as
yet the material in Texas to
make up fine shows, like they
have in tie old states, but by
giving that prominence to fine live
stock exhibits that the interest de-
mands, we may after few years, have
as creditable live stock shows in
Texas as in Kentucky or in Illinois.
Breeding from common males or from
graded ones will not do in Texas any
more than in New York, and when
this rule is recognized among stock
breeders the cattle, and horses, and
the sheep and hogs of Texas will be
doubled in value.
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