The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-06-11
pRoeREssIyE eREEoERs.
Their Success Due to . knowledge OF the
Special Character of FoOds.

Their Success Due to . Knowledge OF thu
Special Character Of Foods.
An Old-style, conservative breeder
was heard to remark to young mar
just contemplating starting in the busi
ness: II have no patience with the non
sense of some neophytes in the breed
ing business, those who say you mus
look to the system Of management il
raising the animals as well as to theil
strain and purity of blood. They nigh
- well say that it is what an ANNA
eats and not its blood that gives L
value" And one, who heard the re
mark, said afterward that this conservA
tive breeders cattle looked as if they
must be priced wholly for their blood
as they never would attract attention
for their symmetrical development.
There are . few breeders who yet
think the entire merit of an ANNA
must be in its pedigree, but these ART
rapidly growing less, and the progress.
to be noted is that intelligent breeder.
are more carefully studying the mos
important subject OF, Authorization. They
do not prize blood the less but they see
more clearly that the development Of
the animal, whatever its blood, depends
upon skill in feeding. In fact, unskill.
full feeding will bring any strain Of
blood into contempt. And it is certain
ly as augury of success when young
breeder comprehends the necessity that
his skill in growing the young animal
shall be as complete as the strain OF
blood he is developing. The import
ance of skiliful feeding has always been
most apparent in those who gave it
any attention. Was the success of the
Ceilings wholly dependent on the strain
of blood they bred? or, was it not rather
their skill in developing it in the most
symmetrical bovine form that gave the
strain of blood celebrity You might
as well say that it was the marble, and
not the immortal genius and skillful
hand of Proxitiles, that wrought out the
enchanting form of Apheodite, or the
marvellous form of Apollo, as'to say that
it was the strain of blood and not skill
full feeding that gave these herds celeb
AL lIuIucICllt lCcUcE HIS HCNCI
owned herd that attracted attention.
1t has never been the strain of blood
that first attracted attention, but the fine
development of the animals; vet after
the herd has attracted great attention,
then inquiry is made as to the strain of
bloOd.and then the pedigree comes in for
exaggerated consideration. The strain
of blood may possess great merit, and
in the hands of the skillful feeder it I'M
folds in great perfection of form, but in
hands of the careless feeder it shows
no especial merit. Like good seed
grain, sown in poor soil, it develops
SO imperfectly as to lose its reputation.
Progress in breeding. then. requires
a careful study of all the principles of
alimentation. since it is food and sur
roundings that develop the animal
form. Skillful feeding requires knowl-
edge of the special character of each
food. for this alone will show what COM
bination of foods is required to produce
a given result in developing the animal.
The animal is plastic in the hands of
one who is master of the art of feeding.
The better the blood the greater its apti-
tude for development. And an animal
of the best strain of blood may have
been greatly injured by want of proper
development Of its di digestive capacity.
and. although only six months old.
would have very much less value. be-
cause this unthrifty habit will take a
long time to. and perhaps can never be
overcome. Thus we see that the pur-
chaser is quite justified in taking into
fall consideration the development of
the animal as well as his strain of blood.
National Lite Stock journal.