Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-10-29
SHORTHORNs FOR BREEDING.


tee OF Fitness.
Would it not be better. as matter OF
business, to guarantee all breeding cows
to be in calf and that they should drop
healthy calves or refund the money? Such
rule might be abused occasionally by
dishonest purchasers who wanted to get
their money back, but such men ought
not to be breeders of Shorthorns, as they
would cheat their customers and bring
disgrace upon Shorthorns. This rule
would make breeders careful Of what
they sold, for the sale woud only be Il
conditional one. dependent for its com
pletion upon the fulfillment of the guar
antee.
If breeders stock is really what it
it should be-healthy, vigorous and
strong-the risk is not great, and is it not
better that he who is the breeder Of it
should take the risk rather than an inno-
cent man without any knowledge Of the
health Of this herd? 1t is impossible for
the most careful breeder to always tell
whether his cows are in calf or not, but
if he has doubts he can retain them on
MS own farm until the doubts are settled.
We all know that thousands Of UNI
healthy and nonbreeding Shorthorns
have been sold for breeders to innocent
new beginners in the past, to the great
injury of the parties and the noble race
Of cattle, and this will be repeated again
b in tho future unless the leading breeders
adopt the rule | suggest or something
like it. Allow Inc to be personal and say
that years ago adopted this rule for my
conduct, and l have n,$>r had COM
plant of COW being nonbreeder.
If our breeding is not healthy in the
hands of the general breeder there is
something wrong with 1t, and this we
should correct ourselves, and not saddle
the loss upon the innocent. 1t is true
cattle are liable to the same diseases as
persons, and healthy COW today may
be i'll a month hence, resulting from i'm
proper treatment and exposure by her
new owner, and to redeem her under the
circumstances would be a great hard
ship; but had it not better be done by
the breeder if demanded, and thereby
save all talk and heart burnings?
/ Pampered and show cattle ought never
to be sold at q public SALE and never for
breeders, as their breeding vitality is
burned out or seriously impaired by over
feeding, and in fine hands Of the general
breeder they must prove IA failure. Flesh
is not strength, and if long carried weak
ness and disease results. Show cattle if
long fatted, can hardly rise, and with
difficulty walk hence are not in coNdi-
ton to bring healthy calves, although l
know this is often denied by the men
who show.
a COW to bring q strong, healthy calf
should be neither overfat nor lean, but
in good, strong, muscular flesh AS poor
animals never show nor sell well at a
public sale the temptation with some is
to make them overfat, though this sell
dom occurs in the west, unless it be
show cattle. In days past many an hon
est man has been outrageously imposed
upon and cheated by having diseased
and nonbreeding cows put upon him,
and is this to be repeated again and
again in the future to the great scandal
of breeders?
Cannot breeders be made to see that it
is not good business policy to sell inferior
and weak things to other breeders, since
/ by so uOlnS tney must KNOW the party
will not buy the second time? Short
horns have no enemies of any moment
save their own breeders-by seldshness
and a desire to get immediate money
they kill the goose that lays the golden
egg and blast their business forever.
If breeders would sell all their in
felior animals to the butcher would not
their good things sell for enough more to
make up the loss? I believe they would.
H. Nj. Vale in Breeders Gazette.
EIlSt dan