Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-12-03
NATURAL FLESH.
Wealth and Richness of Flesh in Cattle
Preferable to Fine Breeding.

Wealth and Richness of Flesh in Cattle
Preferable to Fine breeding.
The term natural flesh" as it is
commonly understood and used by
breeders of beef-making cattle, has a
technical meaning, which, perhaps. the
same words in their common signifi-
cation do not contain. All improved
breeds are taken quite away out of nat
ural conditions. and the flesh they carry
about, thickly and deeply packed where
the butcher gets his c.oices, cuts. is no
more like the flesh of the animal, in
state of nature. than the finest fruit or
flower that horticultural skill has pro-
duced resembles crab-apple or 2 dog
rose. -
By technical usage, natural flesh"
means that sort of flesh which we'll
bred animal can grow upon plain keep,
rs distinguishable from the fatty prod
food. But here the term '.well bred"
may need definition; and we readily
admit that we do not use it to signify
an animal of illustrious pedigree. nor,
in its application at the present mo-
ment, an animal necessarily of recorded
descent, but to mean an animal bred
successfully with the object of promot-
ing the hereditary tendencies to wealth
of good, useful flesh. Such An animal
can often do wonders upon ordinary
grass keep. We repeatedly see. and
have occasionally bred animals so
massive that farmers, accustomed only
to ordinary stock, refused to believe
that they were not daily crammed with
the richest artificial and fat-produc-
ing foods; yet, we knew in the case
of our own animals, and can well
believe when we see animals of the
same stamp elsewhere, that the simplest
food, mere grass in summer, and hay
or straw with roots in winter, sufficed
to grow that extraordinary weight of
flesh. The very touch of the animals
indicated to practiced fingers the ma
terials of which the flesh was formed,
or, rather, proved that certain materi-
all, such as turn to shaky and oily fat,
did not enter into the composition.
Now, this is really not natural flesh in
the literal sense; it is far more abund-
ant and more readily grown than any
truly natural flesh; but it is as surely
not the gross outcome of a pampering
and forcing process. 1t is natural flesh
in the technical sense, and this is the
sort of flesh we want to see in beef
breed of cattle. '.Style'' is desirable
in its way; it is beautiful, and it is often
a true indication of a masters hand in
the art Of breeding; it thus affords as
surance that the more profitable quail
ties also may be confidently expected
to develop under favoring conditions;
but style itself will not bring down the
weighing machine nor feed the hungry.
We must take care that wealth and
quality of flesh are not overlooked, and
the breed which has these most abun-
dainty is likely to show itself the most
powerfully impressive breed in improv-
ing the light-fleshed stock of breeds
unimproved. 1t sometimes
happens that a cross, where there is
excessive fat in the family of the male,
will make a VnOre rapid improvement
upon the offspring Of very lean-feshed
dams than one in which the males he
reditary quality is the very best; but a.
we must breed up to the best quality,
s;res which possess it, and especially
such as have it by long inheritance, arc
In the zEain the sires upon which we
must depend for permanently good re,
suits.-NGtton0I Lice Stock Journal