Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-12-04
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cessful farmer must, in large meas
ure, make his own circumstances In the
face of conditions that would dis
courage less heroic man.
We must not forget that our domes-
tic animals are not natural product.
except as they are the product Of much
care and thought, and they cannot De
left to natures care.
They are not natural in the same
sense that wild animals are. AS their
environment has been changed, anu
by human agency they have been oe-
veloped to better meet the wants Oh
their owners, they become artiicia''
The higher the development alons any
particular line the greater the lhteiii-
gence required on the part OF tAei
owners to so care for them as 10 MAKE
them most profitable.
AS we have improved the animal so
we must improve the method OF care
if we will preserve what we nave
gained.
Young lions do lack and suffer
b,,noer" wise Providence has or
dered that. by disease. the difilculties
with which they contend in procuring
food and by the preying OF one upon
another. the balance between the DIR
ferent species shall be maintained.
Nature's forces are so evenly balanced
that when the environment changes
certain species have to give up the I'M
canal conflict, and others better
adapted to existing conditions take
their place.
With some unimportant, apparent
a Of. CT
animals is preservation of their kind
which includes preservation.
For this end all their energies are
expended. The fleece of the Wild sheep
is barely sufficient for its own protec-
ton, and that only in the limited area
adapted to their mode of existence. The
sheep that has been developed to meet
mans need is found over wide range
of latitude, and under varying climatic
conditions, and is required to minister
largely to the needs of its owner. wild
cattle have long sharp horns for de-
fence against beasts of prey, and the
cows give barely milk enough to tide
the calf over the first three or four
months of it's life.
Wild hogs in their native haunts are
fleet of foot and formidable antagon-
lists, and in the possession of lean
meat they ought to satisfy the de-
mands of the modern dealer in bacon.
The wild horse is small, rough coated
and vicious. In general we find that
wild animals from which our stock
has been developed is able to contend
against some odds in it's struggle for
life but there is little or no reserve
force We find them barely able to
maintain their place in the economy
of nature, but this only under the most
favorable and natural conditions. "A
slight increase of the difficulties of ex-
istence, and the weaker ones die, and
the stronger ones are weakened.
The pages of geologic history show
that a vast number of species have
taken their place among those who
fought valiantly, but against too great
odds.
Now we require of our domestic an
imals that beyond maintaining their
own existence they shall contribute lib
orally to the necessities and luXuries
of their owners. that they shall do this
in such ATTITUDES, and surrounded by
such climatic conditions as they would
be unable even to live under unaided.
They must pay for the aid that is Civ
en- them and a good surplus besides.
They cannot be expected to do this I'M
less the aid is given them in just the
way that it will help them most.
When to justify his own practice. or
for any other reason. one tells us that
it is unnatural for horse to wear a
blanket, and unnatural for him to ever
have his own coat removed, we can but
assent, and include in the same list of
the unnatural the wearing of shoes,
bearing burdens, hauling loads, beat
ing time on the race course, or even
existing in this climate of ours. The
truth is the horse is living an artificial
life in the interest of his owner, and
unless his owner has intelligence
enough to make all the conditions as
favorable for him as possible the horse
cannot render the maximum amount
of service He begins to degenerate
toward his wild ancestor. We shoe
him that he may do his work better.
He is stabbed, fed. watered cleaned,
bIanketed. and clipped that he may the
more satisfactorily do the work re-
ouired of him. 1t is not natural
life. but in certain sense an improve
ment upon nature.
The more tame wild cows a dairyman
had TO feed the poorer he would be.
They are well adapted to fighting their
own battles in natures battlefield,
where the conditions for the conflict
are favorable for them, but they can
do nothing more.
The only COW we have any use for is
the artificial milk producer. She is the
product of the best qualities of all past
generations of cows. The ability to
rustic about and provide for herself has
not been developed in proportion to
her milk producing capacity. but on
the contrary has been weakened in ac-
cordance with the general law that an
extraordinary development of one or
gan. or faculty tends to weaken the
physical system as a whole. HeI
owner must care for. protect and feed
her. and she will pay the bills. If he
fails to do his part she will not do hers
and might as well be the poor thing
of COW that her faraway ancestor
was.
To the degree in which our dairy
COW is removed from the type of The
physically well-balanced. self-support
ing natural cow into the modern mill
machine, she is dependent upon ant
will repay the same kind. intelligen
u