St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-08-15
IMPROVED STOCK.
Costing More at First 1t is the Cheapest In
the Long Run.


the Long Run.
Although the original expense in
CURED by the purchase of thorough
breds may be greater than the cost of
unimproved stock, yet in the end an
investment for thoroughbreds is the
best, as the actual difference in value
between good and inferior stock is much
greater than at first appears. A herd of
cattle, whether of thoroughbreds or
grades, if bred for beef, will show the
value of the breed, not only in the
weight of carcasses in proportion to
age but also in the cost of production,
Our thoroughbreds are not bred for
size exclusively nor even for ability to
digest and convert the smallest proper
ton of food into the largest quantity
of beef, but they also possess promi-
nence in certain characteristics equally
as desirable. In our beef cattle the
breeders have developed the most
available and choicest portions of meat
where it is most desired. The hind
quarters and loinS are heavily devel-
Foped, the head is smaller, the bones
finer and the quality of the flesh in
creased, and in thus producing large
carcasses at small cost the value of the
animals is enhanced by being bred to
that degree of perfection which enables
the farmer or breeder to realize the
best prices obtainable.
In our dairy COWS we find the inn
proved animal the cheapest. A COW
yielding forty pounds of milk day
will soon pay much more than the
amount expended for the improvement
Of an entire herd compared with that
usually derived from one notWell bred.
The difference of only one pound Of
butter a week in the product of one
cow will pay the purchase money
of Jersey bull during the term of her
life, and when we consider that a single
bull in the period of five years may
change the characteristics Of all
the COWS in neighborhood, the at
tempt to estimate the value is not
within the range of possibility. Indi-
vidual animals sometimes increase the
value of the stock of a whole nation.
Messenger, the founder of our trotting
strain of horses, though not valued
during his life time as very costly
animal, increased the value of our
horses many millions of dollars. The
Booth and Bates families of short horns
also produce noted individuals of ex-
traordinary merit, while even in SO
small an animal as the sheep we have
instances of great Improvement through
the influence of q single male, as is re-
membered in the case of the Oxford
Down ram Freeland, which received
the sweepstake price at the Centennial.
The descendants of this ram sell for
hundreds of dollars each, and are
greatly in demand.
An old boar, that was not highly
valued, founded our famous Chester
White breed of swine, and the selec-
ton of few fine boned Neapolitan
hogs for crossing gave the celebrated
Essexes, which are the great rivals Of
the Berkshires. The originators of the
prominent families of stock found il
very profitable to improve with every
opportunity, and the result was that
with every improvement the value Of
the stock was increased, while the cost
of the production was lessened. II
does not pay to keep inferior stock i
better can be procured, as the condi
tions for keeping the improved animals
are the same SIS those for the othes
kinds. With improved quarters
liberal feeding and care II
management of stock of al
kinds, improved or inferior, with thu
same labor, greater returns and larger
profit. at less cost, will result from
Improvement, while the capital IN
vested for the improvement will be bu
small sum compared with the beneft
derived. Field, Farm and Stocks'sGas