The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-06-18
AGRICULTURAL HINTS.
FANCY VS.. EXPERIENCE.

Extracts from n Paper prepared Dy AN!ch'
ard Gibson for tho Dominion OF Canaoa
short-Horn Breeders Association
We all have our fancies as to color IN
cattle. Some admire roam, others red.
With Hereford breeders red with white
face is orthodox, and with Angusmen
black and all black is their creed. Color
may be called fancy; so it is. TX
pericnce says you may follow your fancy
SO long as it is not prejudicial to the
animal. That the Angus and the Devon
breed true to color is certainly not an
objection. That the Hcrefords are bet
ter, except for the sake OF uniformity,
by being so uniformly marked, we doubt
as in our boyhood days, in the early
fortys, we we'll remember the grays
shown by Knight and Heath and Lord
Hatherton.
That the Short-Horn has suffered
much from the red craze can not be de-
MED. Experience says nothing has
done the breed more harm in these lat
ter days than this foolish desire for red.
Fortunately we have escaped this
mania in great measure in Canada,
but where it has been carried to the ex-
IRENE, as in Kentucky and the West,
there the cattle have deteriorated.
Their hair is harsh and wiry, having
lost that messy and beaver-like under
coat, such as is indicative OF feeding
propensities. 1t is admitted on all sides
that roans are superior as feeders.
Then why does fancy run riot? Lack
of uniformity in color? What fallacy!
Experience says it is better to be uni
formly good, though of various colors'
than uniformly bad and all OF one color.
The Jersey men tell us the craze or
fancy for solid colors, black tongue and
black switch, nearly destroyed the use
full qualities which first brought the
breed into prominence. In horns there
is another fancy; some say let us have
good strong horn, as it is an indication
of constitution. The Angus men aetort
YOU do not want any. while the Here
ford and the Ayrshire breeders like
certain shape.
Many good animal have we seen dis
carded at fairs, thrown out for a heavy
horn, perhaps placed behind light
flesby one with delicate steers horn, the
other carrying many pounds more beef
and in the most valuable parts. The
head is worth but few cents on the
block, but on the living animal what an
index to the value for breeding pur-
poses, 1t is said Mr.. Bates fell in love
with Belvedere on seeing his head
thrust through an open window, and de-
termined to buy him at any cost What
ere tho fancies? In females the mos'
common is the objection to thick OF
meaty pouch near the jaws, or what in
horses would be called the throat-latch.
Fancy asks that they shall be we'll cut
up, or in other words, the setting on o.
tho head must be slight and slim. 4e
experience says that it is an indication
of a good feeder rather than defect
and will never be found on a thin-f1eshed
, ill-thriving beast.
: The fallacy regarding the heads o
bulls is that generally advocated b.
;, young and inexperienced judges. Elk
perience says the head Of the male mus
>, be masculine. approaching coarsenes
rather than the opposite. 1t is even
. in the human race. Where are tn
= pretty men? When you find them the,
y are generally too indolent to know hoy
:, to amuse themselves.
Again, or viewing an animal with a
abnormally large brisllet how often W
hear the remark: "What a great bris
ket!' forgetting that if it is out of pre-
portion to TIE loin and ribs it is detr
~ ment rather than point of excellence
- All parts should be evenly balanced
- and where one unduly predominates
;, is not an advantage, and when it occur
;, in one of those parts of the animal whel
~ tho beef is of the least value, as in tt
u brisket, it is still more objectionabl
u, Experience says a long, promine1
~ y. brisket adds to the weight of low-price
" beef, whereas broad. deep chest ind
" Gates strongly-constituted, vigoro
. animal The shoulder, though one
- - the most important parts Of the anims
~ is not often troubled with the fsn'
g. peculiarities, though no doubt many
- us have heard the remark: "WhaS
&c great front, as wide as a barn" Ii
- examine this wonder closely we sh;
u' see wide, prominent, rough shouldt
-, looking as If it had been stuck on att
~ ward by very poor workman. Expe
-, ence points out that on standing
W front of the animal the shoulder poir
=. should be completely covered by
~ ~ neck vein, gradually swelling out Ii
~. bows of ship, without any protub
~" ance or hollows until it is sunk or gr;
ually absorbed by the chest, chine
ribs, so that the eye can not det
o. where the one ends or the other begi
wy The shoulder itself should be smoo
nos equally covered with flesh, not put
lns in rolls IS so often seen. 1t is true t
les' from the neck and shoulders do
A"" come the choicest cuts, but ev
butcher knows that there is q lot
difference between the quality
meat in the fore quarter, the rou
'oR' plain shoulder yielding but little exc
tho boiling pieces; whereas most can be