Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-05-03
THE LEDGER.
THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1894.
A Noted HOlstein Breeder.


From the Kansas City Live Stock Indicator.
No breed of live stock ever attains
any remarkable degree of promi-
nence or wide range,of usefulness I'M
less il has a man or men behind it.
The latent possibilities of the breed
may be very great. The conditions
necessary for its complete develop
ment may be perfect, but unless
there is a mar or men behind it
these latent possibilities will never
be developed, nor will the condi-
tons, however perfect, pertaining
to the growth and development of
the animal, ever result in the pro-
duction of a breed of a wide degree
of usefulness.
One has to but glance over the
history of live stock to realize how
true this statement is. The English
breeds of sheep had been in existence
for centuries, but they remained
coarse, rough and Improbable until
the genius Of Blackwell took the
breeds as they were and the en-
vironment as he found it, and de-
veloped what he called the Dishley
or New Leicester breed of sheep.
His methods were concealed, but
the results were apparent and the
example stimulated breeders in the
century that has followed to improve
the breeds of sheep in a way that
has astonished the world. There
were good cattle before the days Of
Bates, Booth and Colling. The
soil and climate of England were
the same, and yet, out of the COM
mon farm animals around them and
the environment, these men evolved
the Shorthorn breed of cattle, and
the methods followed in producing
this breed have been followed ever
since.
When breeds go into decline they
are usually restored to favor by the
genius of some man Or men who
see what is wrong, and hence know
how to correct the evil. After he
has done it others follow, and all
wonder why they did not see it be-
fore. 1t is the same way with every
other class of live stock. An im-
proved breed of live stock is the re-
rult of three factors: The common
breed, the environment, that is, the
soil, climate, grasses and grains
native to the region, plus brains.
If a particular breed is ever to at
tain prominence it can be done only
by some man or men who see the
need Of that particular type of live
stock, the place it may be made to
fill in supplying the wants of the
human race; who are also thorough
admirers of the breed, and who, by
their superior intelligence and their
enthusiasm, bring out these latent
possibilities and demonstrate its fit
ness for a vacant place. No breed
into prominence in this country or
in any other without the human
element behind it, nor will it ever
become prominent in any particular
state except under the same condi-
tons. The Holstein-F riesian is no
exception to this rule, and the life
history Of one man who has done
much to give il its proper place in
the farm economy of the Southwest
will be Of interest to our readers.
We have the pleasure this week of
giving the portrait Of Mr.. w. F.
Whitney, the secretary of the West
ern Holstein-F riesian Association
and Herd Book, and who is besides
an enthusiastic admirer and very
extensive breeder Of this class of cat
tie.
Mr.. Whitney, like most men who
have done great service to the agri-
cultural and livestock interests, was
farm born. He first saw the light of
day on a farm neal st. Charles, Mo-,
in 1874, and his early life up to his
majority was spent in the usual avo-
cations of the Missouri farm boy,
learning what farmers boys usually
learn (Which, to a bright and active
boy is no little education in itself),
and, taken in connection with that
vigor which is the result of early farm
life, is of inestimable value in later
years.
The isolation Of the farm however,
begets in many farm boys a won
derful desire to see the world. Mr..
Whitney was no exception. In 1865,
when he had attained his majority,
his ambition, as that of many a farm
boy, was to be a pilot on a steamboat
on the Missouri river. and for five
TERRIBLE ITCHING