Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-09-06
Breeds From American Crosses

Under the above heading, the Breed
eTS' Gazette takes a position that it
seems to us is the right one regarding
the breeding Of animals in this country.
While it recognizes the good qualities
possessed by Imported animals, it does
not ignore real merit in those which are
now native to our own soil and climate.
1t admits that ''what we call the COM
mon or native stock, especially of horses
and cattle, in many sections have ar
Quired remarkable fitness for their en-
vironment. There are many ''scrub"
common horses and COWS in this cour-
try, but there are also many excellent,
hardy, intelligent, every way useful an,
imalS without any claim to belong to
any of the recognized imported breeds
This is notably true of the general pug
pose horse and the cow suited for thoss
farmers who wish to give large but not
exclusive attention to dairying.
Naturally, there is much crossing OF
these animals with pure breeds. It is
quite in the possibilities that intelligent
effort might produce an improvements of
these common stock animals which
would give a given locality a variety
really better than any of the now recog-
nized Breeds This is exactly the
ground that the NeaO England Farmer
has taken. We believe it is safe to as
sert that not more than one in five or
ten ordinary farmers have had sufficient
training and experience to enable them
to take any one of the high-priced pure
breeds, and make a success of the bust
ness of breeding and selling stock.
Even among those wealthy fanciers,
who are not compelled to get their
money back in order to pay their debts,
it is doubtful if one ia four could show
satisfactory balance sheet in their
business.
There is a large element of risk in
breeding animals, all the way from
common chicken up to a Maud S. colt.
There are a great many more blanks
than prizes. But it is Il perfectly legiti-
mate business, one thatyis open to all,
and not without reasonable hope, pro-
vided one does not wade in too deeply
before learning to swim. There are
very few herds of COWS in the country
that are nearly so perfect that it would
not be desirable to improve them. Most
herds might be improved by the use of
better males, and the improved breeds
are now so widely disseminated through
the country that it does not require
very heavy outlay, nor any excessive
risk to procure better bull than the
average native stock commonly pro-
duces. a good bull calf week or two
old, from almost any of the choice pop
ular breeds, can be purchased for an
average price not exceeding twenty-five
dollars. A great many bull calves from
very excellent pure bred COWS are given
away every year or sold to the butchers
for veal. Better ones in. some hands
might be cheaper at fifty dollars, but
even these cheaper ones, which are sold
or given away because their owners
have no use for them, would improve
many of our common herds, while the
risk would be no greater than from the
use of the most common of ordinary
stock. We would have every farmer
breed from the best animals he has, and
use the best males he can afford to pro-
cure. but we can not Join in the advice
given by some writers, to discard all of
our native animals as being entirely un-
worthy of use.-Ne10 England Farmer.