The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-02-27
Farmers Institute...NO. 1.

An institute was held at South Rye
gate last Wednesday and Thursday
under the direction of the Ryegate and
Wells River Valley Dairymen's Asso-
citation. Wednesday, at two O'Clock p.
NJ, the meeting was called to order by
the president, George Cochran, and
Rev. Mr.. Garfield led in prayer. The
Best Butter Cow, and How to Feed
Her, was the first topic, and H. w. Vail
of Pomfret, member of the Board of
Agriculture, led in the discussion. Mr..
Vail said he was glad to meet the peo-
pie of Ryegate. Last year the board
had a pleasant meeting with the peo-
Pile, and he was glad to come again,
although he had not had so much time
to prepare as he wished. Problems of
great interest always appeared in breed
ing any kind of animals. Two aXioms
always apply, viz. Breed from the best
of the kind, and like produces like.
The ideal animal has not been pro-
duced, and we expect great changes in
time to come. Animal nature is plastic
and can be changed by feed, care and
selection. We add nothing to its life,
we only turn its nature into new chan
nels. The trotting-horse and fine
wooded sheep are good examples. Cows
can be bred for milk, beef or butter.
The general-purpose horse or cows not
a well-bred animal. 1t never shows
special qualities that are desirable. In
breeding we often find results different
from what we expect. The animal
reaches back to its ancestors and is un-
like its parents. Hence we see the
need of pedigree and careful breeding.
We ask for the butter COW a distinct
ancestry. What is the effect of the
male and what the effect of the dam
upon the offspring? No distinct rule
can be applied. 1t is claimed that the
parent with the greatest ne vous en-
ergy has the controlling influence. No
certain method of controlling sex has
been discovered and probably never
will be, and it is best that it should not.
He would always use thorough-b re1s and
would not breed too near relatives, but
would breed in-and-in in the same gen.
eral family. He would never cross with a
large or coarse animal for butter traits,
but with something with family resem-
blance. In-and-in breeding effects
the constitution of the animal. We
must look to the sire with care, as we
usually have but one for many cows,
and the value of the sire is often found
out too late. The old Justin Morgan
horse was an example of this. Nervous
temperament produces milk and butter
breeds. Emphatic produces beef
qualities, etc The Jersey COW has no
competitor for butter, unless it is the
Guernsey. The best bred heifer may
sometimes become poor cow. This
is often the result of feed and care. A
two-year-old heifer will not always show
what she will do the first year. If a
man has fine animal, he knew of no
better method than to breed in-and-in
several removes off and thus perpetuate
the best qualities. Governor Hoard
says if boy hunts birds he takes a
bird dog; if he hunts foxes he uses a
fox hound, but his old daddy will hunt
for butter with a beef COW. Henry
Whitcher of Newbury said that Thomas
Bates of England claimed that the
natural laws of breeding were as dis
tinct as those that were used in guiding
ship. He favored in-and-in breeding,
but not too close relations, and would
sometimes use stronger blood, larger
size, to give stamina, and then breed
back to the finer animal He gave as
an illustration a cross once made with