Cañon City record., 1900-07-12
sA..s n...s q sAs E.s.rs.

oAsss 1esns 81 ths HutarA
At the February meeting OF the
Short-Horn breeders. held in Kansas
City, Hon. 8. r. Lockrfdge Of Green
castle. Indiana. contributed . paper
in which he said In part:
Now It ia admitted. believe. that
in-and-in breeding has q tendency to
reduce the size, to refine the form gem
orally and 70 increase the disposition
toward early maturity. How long this
practice can be followed without i'm
pairing the useful qualities in the AMI
NAL is question not easily answered.
The Ceilings and other early breeders
Of Short-Horns bred from very close
connections without apparent injury
| to their cattle, and Bakewell. with the
Long Horns, probably to a greater ex-
tent than any other breeder OF his day
or since. As intimated above, how
ever. the character Of the cattle Of
that early period justified his practice
to an extent that would not be permis-
sib.e at this late day when Short-Horns
have reached the highest degree of
refinement, 1t seems. compatible with
q good constitution and general useful
ness. In fact. think most OF you will
agree with the opinion that in some
cases the limit has been exceeded. and
that there are Short-Horns to-day thar
show the effects OF too close breeding
in an excessive fneness of home, lack
of scale and indication OF delicacy
throughout the whole animal 1t is
evident that animals Of this character
can not be depended upon to produce a
healthy and robust progeny. II this
Is true, is it not time to call a halt.
and as practical, common-sense men.
having the best interests OF the breed
at heart, advise return to safer meth
DDS and a more intelligent and liberal
selection OF material for use In the
herd? The most successful breeders
Of the past did not hesitate when the
occasion demanded to introduce new
blood into their herds.
Now the question we should ask our
selves to-day is. are we exercising a
proper degree Of independence In our
operations. or are we allowing the
preference for this or that line or fam
Ily to influence US against our better
judgment and common sense! In se-
iecting sire should we not choose him
because he possesses In a superio. de-
gree the qualities that we desire TO
secure In the progeny. rather than be
Influenced altogether by the fact that
he 10 OF a particular strain Of blood
that happens at the time to be OF the
prevailing fashion. although he may be
deficient in Individual Qualitiesf In
no ali fop
no other reason than that his ances-
tors were famous in the hands OF a
man who had the genius to make and
keep them SO while he lived. when.
| possibly, their descendants In other
hands have not maintained the fam-
iiy reputation? For that is the SUN
and substance OF the whole matter 1t
is unfortunate. 1 think. that too many
breeders continue to worship at the
shrine of their early love so long after
the source Of Inspiration has lost its
power.
The successful breeder OF the future
VIII. In my humble Judgment, be nrm
believer in the value OF pedigree. but
be will insist that It be accomplished
Ey unquestionable proof that the char
acteristics Of the ancestors were such
as to insure the perpetuation OF the
good qualities in the offspring He will
not refuse to introduce into the herd
sires bred from close afdnities, pro-
vided they possess in an unqualified
cegree the qualities already referred
to. but he will resolutely reject all that
do not measure up to that standard.
On the other hand. believe that the
breeder of the future will not be ham
pered by the fact that the material he
selects IL not In line bred. but that he
will unhesitatingiy make use Of mis-
cellaneousiy bred animals. always con-
ditioned upon the fact. however. that
the converging strains are from the
herds OF men known and acknowledged
to have been distinguished and reDuta-
BILE as breeders in their several vays-
And in % doing he viii but follow ths
presidents left him BY the greatest
breeders Of the past