Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-06-05
AGRICULTURAL HINTS.
FANCY VS.. EXPERIENCE.

FANCY VS.. EXPERIENCE.
ard Gibson for the Dominion Of Canada
short-Horn Bresders' 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 a fancy; so 1t Is. Ex-
perience says you may follow your fancy
80 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 Herefords are bot
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 a 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 why, having
lost that messy and beaver-like under
coat, such as is indicative of feeding
propensities. It 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 a
good strong horn. as it is an indication
OF constitution. The Angus mon retort
you do not want any, while the Here
ford and the Ayrshire breeders like a
certain shape.
Many a good animal have we seen dis
carded at fairs, thrown out for a heavy
horn, perhaps placed behind a light
feshy one with delicate steers horn, the
other carrying many pounds more beef
and in the most valuable parts. The
head is worth but a 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 the fancies? In females the mos
common is the objection to a thick or
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 Of
the head must be slight and slim. Yet
expe rience says that it is an Indication
of good feeder rather than defect,
and will never be found on a thin-fieshed
ill-thriving beast.
The fallacy regarding the heads of
bulls is that generally advocated by
young and inexperienced judges. Ex-
perience says the head of the male must
be masculine. approaching coarseness
rather than the opposite. It Is even 50
in the human race. Where are the
pretty men2 When you find them they
are generally too INDECENT to know how
to amuse themselves.
Again, or viewing an animal with an
abnormally large brisket how often we
hear the remark: "What great bris-
ket!" forgetting that if it is out of pro-
portion to the loin and ribs it is detri-
ment rather than point of excellence.
All parts should be evenly balanced,
and whore one unduly predominates it
is not an advantage, and when it occurs
in one of those parts of the animal where
the beef is of the least value, as in the
brisket, it is still more Objectionable.
Experience says a long, prominent
brisket adds to the weight of low-priced
beef, whereas broad, deep chest indi-
Gates a. strongly-constituted, vigorous
animal The shoulder, though one of
the most important parts of the animal,
is not often troubled with the fancy
peculiarities, though no doubt many of
us have heard the remark: ''What a
great front, as wide as barn" If we
examine this wonder closely we shall
see wide, prominent, rough shoulder,
looking as If it had been stuck on after
ward by a very poor workman. Expert
ence points out that on standing in
front of the animal the shoulder points
should be completely covered by the
neck vein, gradually swelling out like
bows of ship, without any protuber-
ance or hollows until it is sunk or grad
| ually absorbed by the chest, chine and
ribs, so that the eye can not detect
| where the one ends or the other begins.
The shoulder itself should be smooth,
equally covered with flesh, not put on
| in rolls as so often seen. It is true that
| from the neck and shoulders do not
| come the choicest cuts, but every
| butcher knows that there is lot OF
| difference between the quality OF
meat in the fore quarter, the rough,
plain shoulder yielding but little except
boiling pieces; whereas most can be Gu,
| into roasts from a smooth, evenly
| fleshed one.-Breeders' Gazette.
Tying Cattle.
An Eastern farmer sends to Farm and
Home his way Of tying cattle, which is
srewith illustrated. 1t is simple and