The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-10-25
improvement OF Native Cattle.

Scarcely man, old or young, ever
hears of notable thing done but he
thinks to himself: II could have done
that. It is either want of opportunity
or absence Of thought in that particular
direction, and the latter is by far the
more frequent than the former. A
genius--or what is precisely the same
thing, a successful man-makes his
own opportunities. He gives his mind
to his special idea, cultivates it, per-
fects it, and finds place for it at once.
It is precisely thus with regard to the
improvement Of our live stock. Let us
take the Shorthorns as representing the
beef cattle and the Jerseys as the type
of dairy stock. These breeds have
both been made. At one time they
were the common races of their locality
scrubs, just as we call our common
stock. But men conceived the idea of
improving them. Bates and his neigh
bors in the north of England bred the
Shorthorns, and few farmers in the
island of Jersey cultivated that race.
And now these two breeds are the most
noted and valued of cattle. IT will not
do to despise popularity. There is
something always back of success in
everything; and it is wholly wrong to
think the men who have paid thousands
of dollars for Shorthorns and Jerseys
were fools with whom their money was
soon parted. And every farmer may
learn lesson from the facts and the
suggestions which we have offered We
have q really excellent native race of
cattle, which we in our carelessneSs, not
to say ignorance, are content to call
scrubs. But. like the modest, retir-
ing farmer who is rarely seen or heard
OF, but his work keeps the world ago
ing, these scrub cows are doing a vast
work. They produce every year thou
sand million pounds of butter and four
hundred million pounds of cheese. And
| yet no one has ever taken them-'sby
the hand" we were about to say-with
an intention ef-elevating and lettering
their position in life. But noble blood
| flows in their veins; the best of it, for
out of 1t have come all the noted breeds.
And it is quite as amenable as theirs to
improvement. Here is vast field for
cultivation. And any farmer who gives
his mind perseveringlv to the pursuit
can dowhat others have done and make
a great Improvement in our native race
He can select the best and bring in
| new blood for the best animals he can
find and perseveringly stick to his work,
never looking back, and gaining a little
every year, until he doubles the pro-
duct of his cows. This is not difficult
to do if the right way is taken. The
way we have been pursuing has been
the wrong one. No matter what ami
NAL is used when a calf is wanted, the
COW viii milk and the calf is deaconed
or vealed. 1t is grand record of our
despised scrubs that in spite of such
treatment they are still fairly good
cows on the average. And they de-
serve better treatment, and viii well re-
pay every farmer or dairyman who will
give them their just deserts in the way
Of Improving the1n.-Neso YorE Times
Queen Marguerite, of Italy, holds
her receptions ON quite democratic
scale. Instead of the persons being led
up to the Queen to be presented, she
herself makes a progress round the
room, giving her hand to each one, ac-
companied by few pleasant words Of
greeting.