The Osceola times., 1886-06-12
PROGRESSIVE BREEDERS.
Their Success Due to "a knowledge of the
Special Character of Foods.

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Special Character of Foods.
An old-style, conservative breeder
was heard TO remark TO young man
just contemplating starting in the busi-
ness: Il have no patience with the nom
sense of some neophytes in the breed.
ing business, those who say you must
look to the system of management in
raising the animals ~ well as to theiI
strain and purity OF blood. They might
as well say that it is what an animal
eats and not its blood that gives il
value" And one, who heard the re-
M ark, 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
fot their symmetrical development.
There are few breeders who vet
think the entire merit of an animal
must be in its pedigree, but these are
rapidly growing less, and the progress
to be noted is that intelligent breeders
are more carefully studying the most
important subject of almentation. 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 a 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 skillful 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 bredP or was it not rather
their skill in developing it in the most
symmetrical bovine form that gave the
strain of blood celebrityP 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
ful feeding that gave these herds celeb
rty. An Indifferent feeder has never
owned herd that attracted attention.
~
that first attracted attention, but the fine
development of the animals; yet 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 un-
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 a knowl-
edge of the special character of each
food, for this alone will show what COM
bination of foods is required to produce
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 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
overCo ONE. Thus we see that the pur-
chaser is quite justified in taking into
fall consideration the development of
the animal as wellas his strain of blood.
-AdtiOndi Lire Stock Journal.