Sacramento daily record-union., 1889-09-21
LIVE STOCK DEPARTMENT.
Progress in Cattle Breeding-WhatC Coz
stitutes Standard Animals.

stitutes Standard Animals.
The cattle show this year is such that it
cannot be passed without extended and
favorable comment. 1t serves as sn index
to one of California's most important in
dustries; an industry which from year to
year has progressed towards the better
until within score of years it has risen
from the mediocre to rank with the best of
any land.
Between the years of 1870 and 1880 the
important breeders of thoroughbred cattle
could be counted on the fingers of one
hand, and the stock bred was principally
shorthorns. Now at the Park, in addition
to the exhibits in this class, are herds of
Aberdeen Angus, Ayrshires, Devons, Here
fords, Holstelns and Jerseys, composed of
animals of superior merit in their respective
classes.
1t was no easy matter to bring the State
forward at such pace to the position it
now occupies. Herds brought in here
from Eastern Staets and disposed of at pub
| lie and private sales at State Fairs, have in
measure assisted in educating the farmer
| to an appreciation of the true value of i'm
| proved stock, but the brunt of the work has
| been done, and the best results sprung
|
| breeders.
! These men having a permanent and
4 abiding interest in the development of the
| best strains of the best blood, with charac-
| teristic push and energy, and unlimited
| capital at command, have brought t. their
herds the very choicest animals of both
sexes, selected from the best Eastern and
imported stock, and in such numbers that
through their produce California now pos
sesses animals equal to the best of their
breeds wherever found
Nature has provided California with a
climate that places her breeders of any
kind of stock at an advantage over those of
any other section of the Union. Our horses
have already come to the front. Not long
ago Kentucky was the famous horse quarter
of the world, and everybod went to the
bluegrass region for bang-tail racers and
standard trotters. To day we lead as
record breakers in either class, and the
racing world is looking to California for its
flyers.
So, too, will it prove with cattle. With
our climate and imported animals. the de-
velopment of the progeny will be such that
perfection will be more nearly attained
than will be possible in any other quarter,
and we predict that in less than ten years
our State will become more renowned for
cattle than either Kentucky or England,
and the world coming to US for stock which,
at thai time, will be famous as the best.
The style, figure and quality which
should represent a perfect animal in the
be difficult to obtain, and if found in any
particular one, objection would certainly be
made to it as type, on the ground that il
represented particular animal of certain
blood and breeding. Tastes, prejudices
, and fashion would also enter largely into q
, determination of what might constitute
perfection but taste, prejudice and fashion
in stock k-breeding are all more or less arbi.
trary, the result of too much education, and
frequently absurd, especially when, as they
often do, run counter the practical excel.
, lence.
! Accordingly, standard or model oi
what a particular animal of a special
| breed should be, rather than what some
: animal is, has by universal consent Of
i breeders been adopted as standard of ex
cellence, and the animals that most nearly
approximate to that standard are Judged as
superior.
A rating, or scale of points, comparing
: an animal with standard model, enables
: : the critic to judge understandlngly as t.
: | every detail OF make up. There are taker
into consideration the muzzle, head, horns
ears, neck, chest brisket, shoulders, fort
= ribs, crops, spine, loin, hips, rump, tail
hinder ribs, flank, udder, thighs, hind legs
Z twist, hair, skin, and what is known a.
, handling or touch; and there are animal.
in their respective classes that so nearly
approach the requirements of the model a!
to be worthy of being considered almost, i
: not entirely, perfect.
!. While all the details before mentioned
!, receive their proper share of attention from
breeders, yet certain qualities are of mucf
l | nt n -.
= course, of more consequence that the loin
n from whence come the choicest cuts, shoulC
be long, deep and wide, than that tn,
horns should appear tapering and waxy. OF
that the nose should be free from mottleC
e spots. The ideal animal would then be tn,
j one which natures in the shortest possibl,
y time, and with minimum amount O
forage, producing maximum amount O
choice cuts for the block, and the leas
refuse
!, The breeders who first attained ant
:. maintained worldwide celebrity for th,
1 nearness of this standard of perfection ar,
e of the past. The Bates and Booth strains
that in their day occupied the foremos
e rank, were worthy predecessors of tn.
Cruickshank family, which the who'll,
breeding world recognizes as being the
= largest and most celebrated existing herd O
p shorthorns of to-day, and the greatest nur
I SeIy VI IIlLe-WluuluS CdttI6 the WOrIQ has
; ever produced.
8 Not too much importance can be placed
4 on the selection of a sire which is to heaC
the herd, and it is now acknowledged by
all fashionable breeders that one to b,
standard must be Cruickshank The in
i PRODUCTION of the Cruickshank strain tc
e this coast during the last two or three year:
' was long stride in the march of progress
, and IN due time proper credit will bt
placed to the discernment, that foresaw the
, possibilities bound to result from the in
r vestment. As demonstration of the pre-
, potent powers of bred to the line animal
E of this class, we can point to the premium
! young stock in the herd of A. Heilbron &
, Bro. including bull and heifer calf, and 10
the two-year. old heifer in the herd of Jos
, Marzen, that not only took the first prize
here over all competitors, but wherever ex.
t hibited. All are sired by the Second Earl
, of Aberdeen, pure Cruickshank, in the
herd of the first stmentioned breeders.
! So much as to the progress made by the
shorthorn class. Second in importance 10
those just reviewed come the Herefords. a
class of cattle with many enthusiastic ad.
mlrers that are pushing them to the front
with zeal that asserts itself at every turn
ana fights for the attainment of superiority
every day in the year.
These animals have their own peculiar
characteristics in marked degree
A uniformity of color with the invari-
able white face and neck enables person
who has ever seen one Hereford to know
just what another one will be as to color
They are fine boned, shor;-iegged, stocky
and square built beef animal that fully
merits the attention ii is receiving, and the
representatives from our best herds COM
pete with and win premiums over the best
importations selected from number ofthe
best Eastern herds with the particular OBJ.
Ject in view of competing in the prize ring.
In this class A. Hebron & Bro, who
breed Herefords as well as shorthorns, won
the first premium for the best bull three
year-olds and over, the sweepstakes for best
COW, besides several other premiums with
younger animals, and yearling Hereford