Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-08-06
Agriemltmra1 department.
Great Herds from Small Begin
n1ngs Grow.

the rearing OF pure-Dred i've STOCK.
Many, however, enter into the bust
ness without giving themselves that
thorough training essential to success
they drift into it, following their nat
ural bent, taking up the more intel
lectual side of the calling, and fail to
drill themselves properly in the little
details of handling, feeding and man
aging so necessary to success. The
best merchants are those who have
grown up in the business from cash
boys and have learned by years of
drudgery just how each branch of the
business is conducted. The young
man, the goal of whose ambition is
to some day own and manage herd
of -breds, should begin at once
by schooling himself in handling and
managing just such animals as he
may find about him to-day. Feeding
calves may not appear to be very ele-
waiting work, yet until one can sue
cessfully feed calves he should not
think of taking care of older animals.
How can one leave to others duties
which he cannot perform thoroughly
and well himself? Having learned
just how a young calf should be fed
and how it should appear when well
fed, one is ready to take the next
step in the business. If rightly start
ed the young animal is on the way to
a thrifty yearling, and here study is
needed again to make that happy de-
cislon between Improbable overfeed-
ing and not less expensive under
feeding.
In studying how to feed and handle
too great haste should not be incurred
because of the druggery to do any
thing we'll and easily and to have the
Judgment rendered quick and active
one must not repeat the operation he
is studying many times. Our young
stock breeder, reading the directions
given by noted cattlemen, warns up
and feels that he can rapidly learn to
do just as they are doing; let him
remember, however, that these men
have many of them grown gray in
their calling and that they started out
as well equipped mentally and with
as great ambition to succeed as the
coming generation, and only the long
procession of years has given these
masters the dizziness and good judg-
ment they now exhibit. To hope to
acquire the same degree of experiences
in brief time is utter folly. Read
ing alone will not make expert. No
one can at first pitch base ball sue
cessfully after having carefully stud
led the directions from book. Care
full, thoughtful reading will help one
greatly and materially shorten the
time required to attain success, but
reading must be followed up by ex-
tended practice.
Young men who cannot own full
bloods can get excellent practice in
handling grades. They can secure
pure-bred sires-for any other system
is absolutely inexcusable at this time
and can rapidly grade up the herd
with ample opportunity for carefully
observing the value of good blood.
They can take much pride and gain a
world of information in just this
work. The young man who will not
improve to the utmost the cattle he
may happen to possess, but neglects
them, longing for the time to come
when he can own better ones, is not
worthy of his calling and his pretend
ed devotion to such is probably not
deeply enough planted to ever bear
fruit, even if it has an opportunity.
To be expert. in pedigrees is very
proper and essential, but one had a
thousand times better begin his stud
les by rendering himself expert in
feeding, handling and Judging. When
this is acquired in fair measure the
other can be added, and then one can
set out on the road with little fears
but that success will ultimately crown
his efforts.
Another point: Ambitious young
men are not always willing to begin
in a small way and let time make up
what they lack in money. To start
with one or two pure-bred females
seems entirely too small beginning
for their ambition, and rather than
take up with SO little they make no
start at all. No greater mistake
could be made. In beginning so
small there are almost no chances of
failure, while the opportunity for
studying is concentrated thereby.
We have in mind some of the very
best breeders whose beginning seems
very insignificant compared with
present attainments. The long years
have brought much experience to
them, and with the increasing herd
comes increased experience and the
judgment so essential 10 success.
We have had to look around us and
observe how the majority of our sue
cessful men have begun and advanc-
ed to get an excellent idea of the
best way to proceed in building up
and managing herd of pure-bred