The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-07-19
STOCK FOR FARM,
RRQ
Cor. Chicago Tribune.


Reading the Tribune has put me in
mind OF one or two things Wsnt ~ say
Q few words about. One thing 10 the
advice TO farmers TO buy pedigreed
stock. ! wouldn't be foolish enough,
living ia \ section of the country where
the ahOEt-hOrns have done SO much as
they have here, "a 20 say q good bull
wouldn't beA good Investment at rea-
sonAble prices. But I am not so certain
that the farmer who has only common
stock TO begin with wouldn't do full as
well 10 buy . plain bred or even high
grade bull at the start. Let HIM then
get Q pure bred bull and always keep q
better bull than he has cows. In this
way he will soon have herd of good
stock At small cost, for the Improve
ment in his cattle by the first plain
bred bull will pay for q better bull be-
fore the farmer will have 20 buy one
1t is just the same about other stock;
only that rams and bears cost so much
less than bulls and stations do, that
sheep and hogs are much better as q
rule IN this part of the country than are
cattle and horses.
heard of bank In Kansas, or in
western Missouri, which is taking sen
sible course. The bankers found that
they couldn't lend money to farmers any
longer for IL per cent, more or less, be
cause the farmers wouldn't borrow. So
these bankers said to some of the farm
era: "We'l lend you money to buy pure
breeding stock ii you will do so at q low
rate OF interest" The rate charged for
interest was much lower than they got
on ordinary loans, but they claimed that
Il would pay IN the end, for the farmers
would become interested and Would
raise good stock and more Of it, and
thai would bring more money into the
country and more business to the bank.
Maybe they are right. notice that Whar-
eyer farmer pays . fancy price for q
fancy pedigreed animal he becomes .
missionary In has own neighh0rhoOd.
BE has TO do IL. He feels that his neigh.
bOre think he II Q fool easily parted
from his money, 50 he bragg about his
boes bull, or his draft horse, or his fine
Of good blood, and hgures, and argues,
lies little In good cause, maybe, TO
conVince bis neighbOrs-and himself
that he iea't 80 big fool as he looks.
aster all; and his boys get the idea and
help the old man OUT, and when the
young stock comes they are all waiting
% see and bFag on Its good points; and,
naturally, they take more care
and pride in feeding and hand
ling the youngest OF the blood
royal, and these become gentle
and quiet, as the common stock would
under such treatment, and thrive might
lily, Sd that when the neighbors come to
compare their half fed, neglected and
half wild scrubs with the better bred
yearlings they go home q little dissatis-
fed with their own and q great deal en-
ViOus of their neighbours stock. know
how it works, for I've been there my
self. In that way q man who has
brought pure blood into q neighbOrhOOd
becomes a new "cOntagIon," and in q
little while the country all around him
becomes filed with good stock. There
are hundreds of such cases in the west.
But is IL good for q farmer TO pay q
high prlce for q pure bull, or other ami
NAL TO begin withP His cows and his
neighboFs' cows are scrubs Of no def
mite breeding. II they buy the best
bred and highest priced animal in the
| world the produce will be grades. They
can't be registered, and they can't be
sold for big prices as breeders, for they
can't be depended on ID breed animals
"a good 6 they themselves are. Isn't il
better to buy plain-bred stock At the
start and improve graduAlly2 such can
be bOught for prices which are not 30 very
high. It is very lucky for the world
that the man who has herd Of forty or
fifty COWS really seeds but one bull. If
II were not for that the price of pure
bulls would soon go beyond the average
farmer. Now breeders have so many
more bulls than they need that they are
willing 70 let palmer ones go for q very
little more than they would bring for
beef. As long as that Is the case there
Is really no excuse for breeding scrubs
any longer, and the man who does il
must be badly lacking in good sense.