Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-11-08
Stains ogthe Cow

From the Prairie Farmer
Pedigree, more than any other one
thing, determines the stains OF tho COW,
Individual merit comes in 20 quality fine
status-to raise or lower IL, A COW may
be above or below the average of her
breed III above, she May have the
power, in some degree, TO transmit this
excellence. Hence 1t ia that by selection
corn takes fertiliziug elements from the
oil to the value OF 10 oents and sells in
he open market for 90 cents, the remain
ny 40 cents represents the labor applied
TO the product, aud the greater th> cost
/ OF the labor the higher the price demand
ed for the article, and II the prloe de-
msndsd IL not obtained the farmer will
omit such o crop from his list the next
season, az he cannot afford TO sell below
I the cost. How much of this Ia profit il
not easily answered. Some farmers are
satisfied TO receive out OF the gross sum
and breeding from the beat comes i'm.
provement. II we get excellence IN both
/ the sire and dam, Improvement 10 almost
certain TO follow in the offspring. Intel
/ hgent breeders take advantage of this
| fact 20 secure an improved type, and to It
are we indebted for the superiority OF all
the breeds in their particular line OF de.
| velopment-milk or beef,
IL is mistaken idea that il will pay 20
start with inferior animals and breed up.
IL successful, the progress would be too
SOW to make it pay, so long as advantage
may be taken Of improvement already
secured. Common sense dictates the
selection Of the best possible available
| type II the beR inning is with inferior
animals, the bleeding may be down in.
stead of up. Like begets like" and
! bad qualities are transmisiible IA well az
good ones. This is most important
| fact to be observed ia selecting and
| breeding, and many make failures by not
paying sufficient attention TO IL. From
! this comes the chief danger OF inbred
ing. Both aides are likely TO have the
same bad as well as the same good quail
ties, and bad qualities are transmitted
and intensified, as we'll as good onss.
| But II all the points arc right, then in
breeding strengthens them and goss TO
insure their transmisnon.
Yet failure often sollows, whom two
superior individual types are occupied.
The fact that their progenitors, in tho
beginning, were inferior, causes tenden-
oy to strike back TO the original type.
Hence, oven the most improved sire and
dam may occasionally produce offspring
below instead Of above, their own statue.
Much depends on the length OF timo the
breed has been in developing, and tho
caro- and skill exercised in selecting Ind
breeding. II OF recent origin, atsvism
or striking back, will be much more fire.
quent and render breeding more uncsr-
tain in its results. But long establish
ed breed, like the DeyODs, with almost
absolute certainty produces an average
type. Hence, tho Importance OF select
ing sire and dam, not only with a good
pedigree, but with long one OF oxoel-
leuco. With such breeding is much more
certain and satisfactory, and in breeding
mp r. herd By introducing improved blood
Of well-cstablished excellence, improve
ment Ia 10th much more certain and
muoh more rapid. Blood tells II can
not be too good.
We often hear the remark made, that II
our common stock wore treated the same
as tho blooied, tho result would be tho
same. This il trne only in a limited
sense. BY better care and keep, and by
careful selection in breeding, undoubted-
lily Improvement would follow. But IL
would take great many years-more
than any one mans lifetime to start with
nothing but our native stock, and breed
up to the status Of any OF our already
established breeds OF improved stock. II
one wishe5 70 try his hand at producing
40 improved typo, LEI him select the best
be can from Our established breed ~ a
foundation. Let MIN como ~ near mis-
ideal az he may in selecting, and then 1t
will require twenty 20 thirty years TO fix
the type with any certainty OF it's regu.
lar transmission.