Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1890-03-20
For the Ellsworth American
REGISTERED STOCh AND GRADES.

Mr.. Editor Among farmers there is
good deal of misunderstanding of the
exact meaning OF terms as applied to
cattle. am not now writing of any
particular breed. but Of terms which
are applied to each and every breed
We hear cattle spoken OF as register
cd stock. improved stock" grades"
and scrubs
1t is hardly necessary for me to say
that the term "scruh' does not Indicate
any particular breed. but is used To
designate large class ct cattle which
have become small. enteehled and IN
Thrifty; in "A word. cattle which have
drgenerated on account of generations
Of bad usage. such a. insufficient food
and poor shelter. 1t Is our uncompli-
mentarv term as applied to the class.
and 1t correctly defines class whicl,
Is neither valuable nor profitable. Still
II would he a great mistake to lump at
the conclusion that every individual ia
the class Is worthless animal. fpt
every observing farmer knows tnat in
this Improbable class there will some
times appear COW which is much
superior 10 the average cow in the class
at improved stick But thi, cNccp
ilonai case does not prove that the class
is not Improbable 1t simply proves
That tins particular animal ha- strnug
individual qualities. which distinguish
her from her near relatives. or els" tha'
she has inhtrilcd tar back. from som,
lrm"tc ancestor which possessed muci
better qualities than have been shu"u
Il. intervening generations
The term grade" includes all i'm
proved stock except "tegi>lrrei stock
GFad,> generally are a mixed breed
but MOI ALWAYS 4 full-bluoicd animal
vt any particular breed, may not be-
eligible for resi>lrv on account If u-
sufficient evidence # p-di.rce. Nl,i
give an example II thIs ha,r y
tnll bloo'ied Jersey co.'s four wears old
Her inot!erl- All imported. tail-hlooid.
r,gIstrred Jer>cy. reported to have
reen sold bt the importer at the ti4h
ngure OF five hnndrtd dollars TIrf >,r.
VA = full-hloodrd ,Icl~rr bull raised
ihI> country. hut lis owner Il, giert.,i
10 register him. ana ne wa slaughter
ed when my cow MAS hrilrr. >lX
months old. New my COW ha- not a
drop ut llooi in her Of Any breed cA-
crpt Jersey. and hence j. actu,ll,
tull-h CODED Jersey. vet she is u,l
eligible To registry because there j. no
record evidence III he association o.
The pedigree OF her paternaI ancestor
)" She must rauk With grades. although
81" i not a mixed breed.
Now the effect of being ranked rs
grade IS this: The intrinsic worth Of
the COW is Just the same; registry
would not add At single iarth'ug 10 her
intrinsic worth>a> a mix producer Or
butter maker; bat il would increase
her market value MANY fold a, "A breed
or. 50 If The COW Mere registered tie
price that Sue would bring in the mar
ktt would be sumew here from i've 70
ten times as much a. She would sell for
a single dollar more for any purpose
except. that in connection with regis
tered bull. Size could raise calves which
would be eligible for registry. Pracii-
cal farmer, often make the mistake Of
overlooking il3e distinction between the
market price and The intrinsic worth Of
registered stock. The market price Of
registered stock i always Very high "a
compared with lis intrinsic worth. and
"A farmer cannot afford TO purchase
herd Of registered cows. unless he in
lends to keep registered bull aud
raise registered calves and sell them
at fancy prices
] mean that the first cost of the
stock Is 20 large "a sum of money that
the only way 10 get a fair annual inter
est on 1t is 10 get large price for the
annual calf. But half Of these calv.s
will be bulls. and there are compare
registered bulls because the price l.,
high, aud in few year, they become
too large for sery zee. so the demand tor
these registered bulls is small because
The grade can he bought so much
cheaper. do not mean by this that
registered cattle are fraud. or that
registration is a hunbug. or that the
price Is any higher than 1t should be
only mean that registered cattle are.
and always will he. mu, Ii higher iu the
market than grades which are just As
good for everything else except breed
Ing.
| have at this time two IIolstein
bulls. One is a grade, the other is
registered. Probably the one would
heget as good calves as the otter. but
notwithstanding that. | expect 10 get
four times a much for the registered
bull as | do for the grade. because the
trade III grades Will always he local
1t would rarely go beyond the limits
of the .ouuty where the owner lives or
where the creature is raised. because
the buyer depends entirely on the III
tegrty of the seller for the pedigree of
his animal. Not so with a registered
animal. The certificate OF transfer and
registration gives the number aud de-
scrlptlOn OF the creature, and the regis
ter gives his pedigree. This makes
market AS large as the exit Mt of the