The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-04-12
FAILURES IN FARMING.

With many people one failure Is
enough TO convince them that all fur
Their effort in "A given direction will be
hopeless; yet the world is full OF eX-
amples showing that most great sue
cesScs have been the outcome OF repeat
ed failures. The making of sorghum
sugar is practical and profitable OPP
Grafton, but its failure has been pre-
dictcd again and again. Some of the
fruits ana vegetables now well known
in this country were declared to be
failures when first introduced in this
country; it is not so very many years
ago that it was quite generally believed
that fruits could not be grown west OF
Lake Michigan, yet very fair quantl-
ty and quality of fruit have already
been produced in that region. Many
years ago an attempt was made to IN
troduce Hereford cattle in the United
States For years they were ut
terly neglected by the public. No
one could be found who would try
them. Now they have among all the
beef breeds no rivals which are more
popular. The Jersey was in America
for many years before any general ia
vor was accorded to her, although she
was almost as good butter-cow years
ago as she is now. In 1858 the Gallo
way was brought to this continent; but
that breed of cattle have remained al
most unknown to the general Ameri-
can public until within the last three
years. Now they bring at public sale
from 5000 to $500. So with breeds of
sheep and horses. Pioneers in import
ing and in breeding have in many cases
for years failed to make profit from
their efforts to improve the stock of
the country, but at last they have
found their reward where they have
adhered to their stock. The utter fail
ure of the attemp: to introduce the An
CORA goat into this country has been of
ten predicted and even now there are
plenty who declare their belief that
there is no profitable place for that
breed. Yet the Angora-goat interest is
making progress
Several years ago an effort was made
to introduce very tine-wooled sheep into
the States from SaXony. A small num-
Der of that breed was lately to be seen
in Ohio, probably the sole representa-
tives of the race in this country. But
it is by no means impossible that that
breed may be brought into general ia
vor by the changes which fashion so
often causes in the demand for wool.
There is no one branch of farming
which is more subject to the changes
brought about by the whims of fashion
than is that of wool-growing. Yet the
man who will steadily stick to his flock,
be they coarse or fine in fleece, will at
the end of any ten years find balance
to their favor on his books. So, too,
with the breeder of horses. He who
breeds the light, quickmoving, general
purpose horse may feel that just now
the heavy, powerful draft-horsc has
rather the best of the market; but the
lighter horse may soon come into pop
ular favor.
The changes in business and popula-
ton in this country; the increased de-
mand for luxuries which has grown out
of an increase of wealth, the general
use of fine and silky underwear by
women and children; changes OF fash
ion in the clothing of men, and dozen
other Influences are at work TO make
possible and even necessary that which
would have been Improbable few
years ago. No man need be discour-
aged and sell out any breed of stock he
may have ON hand because it happens
lust now To have no boom, for in few
years hc may be riding on the crest of
the wave once more, and gathering in
his profits at an altogether unexpected
rate, As breeders of Scotch polled cattle
have been doing of late.