River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-03-29
The Influence Of Well Bred Stock
on Mankind.

IA paper read by Mrs. Alice f. Haycox before
the Farmers Institute held in River Falls
March 9th.
My friends, l expected the gentle.
nan from abroad who was to treat the
subject, .'Bow shall we select our
cows, would tell us something about
fine stock, and his subject would nat
urally lead TO this, so | should not
seem so abrupt; however with your
permission | will call your attention
to The Influence of Well Bred Stock
on Mankind. III is to be understood
that reference is here made to lire
stock and not to corn stalks or bank
stock.)
We will instance the man who has
become carless in his speech and man.
ner through thOughtlessness. He has
kept nothing but poor stock, has ex-
pected but small returns for labor ex-
pended on it ana has attended to its
wants with scant and unwilling hand,
until his treatment of it has become
positively criminal. and his flow of
profane language absolutely shocking.
This man more by accident than de-
sign attends a Farmers Institute and
there learns of the characteristics of
and pecuniary benefits to be derived
from full-bloOd stock and the rela.
tive advantages obtained by keeping
good and poor stock, and after due
deliberatIon purchases COW of
noted dairy breed and brings her home
with great expections. Being led to
believe that cows of this breed are
very d0cile he feels impatient for the
approach of what he has before con-
sidered his especial grievance, "milk-
ing time" being anxious to test her
projections. But the cow is taking
note of her strange sun oundings and
is on The alert to resent the first dan
ger that menaces her. She is far too
restless to snit her fastidious owner
who at once proceeds TO swear TOundly
and administer not very gentle pat,
but when he picks himself up a few
rods distant he is silent and thought
full. Whyl you exclaim, the COW did
not know the meaning of his words.
Perhaps not, but she understood by his
tone and manner that he was angry
and was quick to act on the defensive.
lie is not slow to perceive that the
cow is expanding her nervous energy
in her great excitement and anxiety to
protect herself from insult instead of
using it for the production of rich
flow of milk, and therefore concludes
to try the effect of more gentle treat
ment, for he has looked upon her as
the agent who is to make respect
able bulge on his present limpsy peck
et-bOOk, SO although it is from mercen-
iTy motives, this lord of creation re-
solves to improve his manners and
hand tho inInnafInn Fab
unto the door of thy lips" He may
not be able to suppress the hasty word,
the angry blow, at once but his de-
termined resolution takes him one as
cending step on a graduated scale of
higher development. He knows that
stock to become profitable must be
subservient to his lordship, but de-
termines to control them with gentle
tirmness and is persuaded that to be
able TO do so he must first be master
of himself. In his care of the young
whose natural fear of men must be
overcome, in noting the trembling,
shrinking form and startled eyes, the
intended blow is withheld and he is
dbased in his own esteem and is filled
with shame and contrition. His be.
lief that the animal creation is given
for him to use or abuse, as he wills. is
shaken. He is more ready to attend to
his animals wants and cheerfully be
slows upon them many little attentions
not strictly necessary, but that will
cOnduce to their comfort aud content
ment, giving to each as much food as
he or she can assimilate prOitably. /
say as nearly as possible, because an
animal is not merely a machine to con-
vert certain food principles into GER
tain products. but its health must be
maintained and life principal sustained
SO that if the intelligent and careful
stock raiser after years of persistence
IN his chosen profession succeeds in
strengthening desirable characters
tics of type and increasing the use-
fullness of his herd it is source of
qualification to him and he experiences
a pleasurable satisfaction on behold
ing his animals, instead of being as
sailed with feelings of disgust and
aversion as on looking at degenerated,
ill-favOred, unremuneTative ones. A
factor in accomplishing his aims he
seeks the ideas of others on the print
ed page, and his reading is not merely
mechanical. but thoughtful and heed |
ful. He becomes familiar with the |
best thought of the day and attains a
certain degree of culture and refine
ment. Honesty is his watchwOrd, |
and greed of gain not his chief and |
only aim; therefore he is not prompt. |
ed by avarice to make extTavagant |
statements and does not permit him !
self to oveTstate the good qualities of |
his animals in a momentaTy feeling of |
bravadO. If he were less honest his |
love of gain might prompt him to lose |
sight of the fact that by misrepresen- |
tatiOn he may gain few dollars at /
present at the expense of a reputation
for reliability. so in his case, as well /
as others, Honesty is the best policy"
Precisely the same circumstances may |
not occur in each individual case, but |
hat thoroughbred stock is more re-
spOnsive to good care than i'll bred 1
stock is generally conceded; their in
huence is elevating upon their attend
ants. That the cultivation of flowers
has "A tendency to develop mans finer
sensiblities and tone down his cOarser
attributes we have abundant proof.
The same rule is applicable TO fine live
stock. The owner of full-blOOd cattle
is convinced that there are different
degrees of excellence in IgeH bred cows