The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1896-07-18
FARMER AND PLANTER.
BLENDING THE BREEDS.


''"e cross Purposes That Are Expensiv
In Both Time and Money.
Inc general desire among breeder
20 nnd an animal that combines nj
the desirable qualities to be found i,
several breeds, has created MANY ,
cross-purpose-expensive, both as re
gards timo and money. Reflection
should teach and convince them tina,
the general purpose animal is an i'm,
Possioiiity, because extremes can no,
pe brought together and made to serve
narmoniow,ly. The Consideration of
'ne Claims of any class of stock will
snow thai any effort to blend all breeds
into one must result in failure, as such
: resnis will be the obliteration of the
oreeoS Take the breeds of horses
ana cf ,mpare them. The conformation
Oh uie thoroughbred runner. which
gsD ops, differs greatly from the trot-
@ while the structure of the Clydes-
o. lie and Percheron is SO dissimilar to
ne heet runners and trotters as to ut
terly destroy the breeds should cross
ing be resorted to- Cattle have bee
classified into breeds that excel ~.
beef, milk and butter. These ch,,r.c-
terlstics have been secured by centr-
RES OF selection. To attem pt TO com
olne them IN one breed is to DESTROY
them, because where gain is made
in one direction there is corresn,na-
ing loss elsewhere, and failure ensras
wo opposites can never be made tn
imees, and any deviation from the word
'ofeenturies will require cenmr;e. Of
work to overcome what has Ieen 40.
urpmplished.
IL mas been coDfended that bv the
crossing of breeds an animal can he
produced that will combine at lo.,.
some OF the advantages of both mar.
enes. Inc fact is that there is no
room Tor experiments in crossing. Tbe
breeds themselves are the resrlts -
crossing anc all such work has been
Done long ago, only that the CROSSING
nere'oiore done has resulted in selec.
LIONS which have given farmers breeds
VITA fixed characteristics. II Is
'tnese1ore, useless to cross for .bat
watch can be had by direct use ~
Ahe breeds that are really the outcora
'of crosses. The Shorthorn braad -
cattle, SO fanous for produc;na
Deer, IS bred with tendency to ;rs
crease their weight in flesh. and in .
short time. They are not adan..a :
the produ elton of milk and butter
except in individual cases., hence the
crossing of the shorthorn and uoI.
s'eln Wal result in an animal that doc.
not possess the capacity to prodpce 40
Enuch beef as the shorthorn o. rim
ana butter Of the HoIstein. che rI,;
ma tie result being loss iastead off,
w.in. u
experiences teaches chat anv atterrt
10 secure general purpose animal g.
a step backward. Instead of the rr;or
ICING superior TO the parent stock. the
nnai outcome is the scrub. The care.
'ui selections of centuries can not he
improved upon in a year or a DECADE
ionoreos OF attempts have been made
% combine the merits of d;aar.nt
breeds, but the paths only lead 70
scrubs and ruin Each breed has IT,
lomlnent talente-its saper,or;tv In
certain line-and to attemnt to c;ro
Two talents is to Icasen the go,
OAiO. ne farmer who l.,
Vishes TO Improve must not exneet a
enera, purpose animal He should
Ie'ermi'Ae ia which line of excellence
70 pre- fers TO improve, and then resort ,
= no source of that Improvement.
- peters beef-producing animal.
= should breed for beef only. He ,
an not get beef, milk and butter of ! ,
ne greatest Quantity by any combina-
.lon. The breeds have long been sep
irated, and he must use them for the. :
purposes for which they are intended !
u most be admitted that many of the
cruos OF the present day are the rel
uit} OF crossing to secure general pur-
'ose animals. In poultry this is partic- t
larry noticeable, as hundreds of ex-
'erlnents are made in crossing the
reeds every year, but in every case d
where departure from purity of blood a
as been made. instead of general pur- a
ose stock the scrubs have taken the o
laces of the pure breeds. b
World. Il