Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-02-09
The Value of a Record.

an animal alone was Sllfflclenl To stamp
it as first class aud Of superior excel.
lence. Although prdigrees are sill
adherd to, bre, derS have di.covered the
fact that they have been entirely too
exclusive in this respect, and that
many good animals possessing superior
merit have been overlooked because f
supposed ignohle ancestry. AS it de-
termined to push their own claims Tie
discarded colts, when given the prvi
lege of the turf, forged their way to The
front, the neglected hpttrs filled the
pals To Ovelfowing, and the chance
pigs attained weight nut believed to be-
within their reach. Acting upon the
Suggestion that an improvement in
stock might be effected by breeding
only from animals of merit, though Of
gOod blond, breeders have done more
within the past ten wears to elevate
the standard Of stock than had previ
ouSly been done in half Il century.
Among the notable instances of per.
peIualing the strains celebrated for
actual performance may he mentioned
the Jersey COW Cocmassie. Several
cpws have exceeded her record as Il
butter producer, but this particular
bow not only possessed extraordinary
merit herself, but has transmitted her
excellence to all her descendants.
High prices are paid for calves that
trace to her, even when their future is
unknown, for it has become an estab
lished theory that her descendants can
not fail to give satisfaction,
The Holsteins, heretofore known as
the deepest mixers, have lately proved
themselves not inferior as butter pro.
ducers. The Holslein cow Mercedes,
belonging to an Iowa tarmer,has ex,
ceeded the yield of any COW Of The Jer.
sly breed, and owing to this combina
ton of the qualities of milk and butter,
the young calf of Mercedes lately sold
for 81, 200, the buyer being unable, as
a matter OF course, tojudge what the
calf whould accomplish at maturity.
His judgement was basel solely upon
the excellence of the dam, he believing
that the foundation has been discover.
ed upon which to build up II herd of
Holsteins that may eventually rival
the Jerseys as butter produces, al.
though the heifer calf, on the side Of
its sire, descends only from strsins Gel.
ebrated for the quantity of milk pro-
duced instead of butter.
Among our stock of common hogs
have been found animals superior to
others for certain purposes, and it was
in that manner that the celebrated
Chester Whites were established. For
a long time they were not regarded as
thoroughbreds, and at the Centennial
Exhibition the judges who awarded
the sweepstake prizes passed them by,
giving the premiums only to the breeds
Of English origin; but it could not be
denied that the Chester Whites made
as creditable display as did any other
breed on exhibition. Since then they
have been still further improved and
are as popular as any Of our breeds.
The Poland Chinas were produced by
promiscuous crossing, and the Cheshiret
have been bred tor merit, without re-
gard to pedigree or ancestry.
If merit is of so much Importance Il
the breeders of blooded stock, thu
f,rmers should also determine to make
their stock only from the most meri
torious. They can moro easily improve
their ordinary stock than the breeder
their thoroughbreds, for the farmer
have the privilege of resorting to thu
thOroughbreds for assistance but every
farmer should learn that the prOpe
mOthod of stOckbreedipg is to study tn
characteristics of every animal, and d.
all in his power to improve his flock
and herds in that manner. -Philadel
phia Record.
Mauk~n-AS