The Advocate and news., 1898-02-02


the enterprise and liberality Of the pro-
prietor of Sunny Slope, American breed
ers will on March 2 and have an op-
portunity Of examining, with view to-
wards making selections for their own
use, a large and well-ChOsen consign-
ment of young cattle from such famous
old-world stocks as those Of A. B.
Turner, John Price Stephen Robinson,
Ed. Yield, Messrs. fudge, Heygate, Nor
ris, J. w. Smith, Haywood, Bridgford,
eft al. Many will attend the sale with the
idea that, by comparing the imported
with the home-bred stock, they will be
able to settle in their own minds def
nitely the question as to whether or not
England has Herefords Of any greater
value than our homegrown specimens;
and possibly few words upon this gem
eral proposition may assist somewhat
in arriving at a correct comparative estt-
mate.
After some study Of the British breeds
on their native soil, have been forced
to the conclusion that America will
never be able to declare, with due re-
gard to her own best interests, her ab-
solute independence of foreign herds
|
stock belonging to types specially de-
signed for the block. am aware that
some who fail to approach the subject
in an unprejudiced way will enter de-
NAL and others will question the pat
riotism CD of any American making
such an assertion; but the student Of
breeding problems regards not geo.
graphical divisions nor political dis
tinctions in seeking for truth 1t is in
disputable that we are just now breed
ing as good Herefords in this country
as in England. Our best show cattle
are probably the equals OF the royal
winners; but we must remember that
we are not yet far enough away from
Anxiety, the Lord Wiltons, The Grove
Sd, Tregrehan, Archibald, Sir Richard
I'd, and the rest to declare with any
degree of assurance that we have no
further need to resort to the fountain
head. In brief, to come to the gist OF
the matter at once, the full effect OF the
| American climate and Of American feed
upon the form and character Of the
Hereford has not yet been demonstrated.
That climatic conditions and character
of foods exercises a powerful ultimate
influence upon all animal form Is an
axiom with scientists; and the expert
ence of practical breeders bears out the
teaching of Darwin, Huxley and Spen-
Ger. That the Hereford should consti-
tute an exception to the rule does not
stand to reason. We have but to con-
trast the girths Of the Anglo-SaXOns and
the American aborigines or call to mind
the conventional caricatures Of John
Bull" and Brother Jonathan" to grasp
the idea in dts entirety. Animals are
the products of their environment. The
typical native American free from re-
cent admixture of foreign blood is lean
and of the distinctly nervous tempera-
ment. Your true Briton is brawny, full
blooded, lymphatic and blessed with
assimilative power. The same forces
that mold form in man, affect all ami
NAL life. To apply the test OF actual ex-
perience to the question in hand, we may
in studying the Hereford proposition,
profit by some ShOrt-hOrn history. When
the "White-faces" began their assault
upon Short-horn power in the Central
West, some twenty years ago, the Short
horn had been bred in this country for
generations. 1t soon became apparent,
however, that the home-bred stock could
not successfully cope with the burly-
bodied invaders from Herefordshire, and
it was only by immediate and persistent
resort to old-country herds that the
march of the imported Herefords and
Angus could be impeded. BY free use
of fresh British blood ShOrt-hOrn breed
ers were able to give their opponents at
the shows Roland for every Oliver
Duke of Richmond for an Anxiety, a
young Abbottsburn for an Ancient
Briton.
How long even the rugged Hereford
can withstand our terrific extremes OF
heat and cold, our drought and blizzards,
our dry feed, corn diet and insect pests,
without beginning to lose in sappiness