The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-07-05
Pure-Bred Stock Below Cost.

''Was not all stock once scrubs?'' is
sometimes asked as an argument
against the introduction of cattle of
high breeding from other countries, or
as a reason for refusing to buy finely
bred animals from herds at home at
what many persons are inclined to think
fancy figures. 1t cannot be denied that
all stock was originally scrub stock, so
far as can be ascertained; and it is GER
ltainly true that by carefully selecting
from the scrubs of the present time the
finest and best specimens and by mating
them with other selected specimens,
breed or breeds can be produced much
superior to the foundation stock. Such
has been the result of the efforts of
breeders wherever tried. But all men
were originally savages, and it has re-
qulred many ages to bring mankind up
ITO the present state of development;
and few argue that return to a state
of savagery would be better than to con-
tinue in the line of progress by elimi-
mating the depraved classes and by en-
'couraging further advancement in the
higher and better orders
Few, indeed, are those among breed
'ers of experience who will say that the
prices received for purely bred animals
give anything more than reasonable
reward for the care and cost repre-
scented by such animals. Reports of
sales of stock at what seemed to be
fancy figures by no means show what
breeders really get for animals they
raise. But they do show what the choicest
specimens, the results of many years of
careful thought and scrupulous re-
lection of faulty animals, will bring
when offered for sale. Any farmer who
sby unsparingly culling the inferior
fruit from his harvest has for sale col
lection equaled by few and immeasur-
ably superior to the mass, will be indig-
nant if offered price not above the
average which ordinary fruit sells for.
He knows full well that such q price
will be no Just reward for the time and
care given to the production of what he
offers.
Each of the established breeds of
domestic animals represent vast
number of failures. OF these the world
knows little or nothing. Each of these
failures mean not disappointment
only, but an actual loss of money in q
majority of eases, for few can afford to
give to the raising of high-bred animals
the extra care, food, and shelter re-
quired and receive therefore only such
prices as can be obtained for them in
the market for beeyes, sheep, or swine.
A successful stockman living in La
Sale County, ILL.,, declares that no one
can afford, on land worth forty dollars
per acre, to raise calves of beef breed
for less than $50 per head. His estimate
of the cost of such a calf at birth is as
follows:
Interest on cost of COW at T per cent $40 so
Wear of COW, 10 per cent. per year.. 10 %
Feeding COW twcnty-siX weeks one-half
peck corn per day .......................2 ~ 80
. One-hftieth cost of keeping bull. ........ / 90
Interest on three acres worth $40 at per
cent. ........................ 20
r Total cost Observation-Disclosures. $50 90
He estimates that the cost of shelter,
wagons, teams, ETC., required for caring
for the herd will about equal the
value of the manure. Many u calf of
the fashionable strains has been sold
within the year for less than cost of
production, and it is safe to assert that
many another can be bought to-day for
less than cost. Yet thousands of farm
ers can be found who are breeding the
old-fashioned scrub because they "can't
afford to pay fancy prices for fancy
stock; and was not all stock once
scIHbs?" They refuse to share the ben
Gifts arising from the labors and the
sacrifices of generations of enthusiastic
breeders, when they can have those
benefits almost without cost to them
selves, and certainly at minute frac-
tion of what it has cost to secure those
benefits. --Cbicago Tfiduae-