The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-08-04
~ OF Harns 81 M rutars

~ HARMS a 81 - rutar.
AT the February meeting sc
Short Horn breeders, hsld III Kansa,
City Hon. s. b.. ckridge OF Green
castle, Indiana, contributed a paper
"a which he said In part: #.5ss
Now It is admitted, I believe, that
I#in ll- in breeding has a. tendency to
/ reduce the size, to refine the form gem
/ eFally and to increase the disposition
| 5stoWa u n early maturity. How long thia
IpfactIce can be followed without i'm
psa llslnL g the useful qualities in the ami
/ mai az IS Q question not easily answered.
Inc ceilings and other early breeders
/ Df&Short-Horns bred from very close
| connections come without apparent injury
to their lbti g cattle, and Blackwell, with the
I Long Horns, probably to 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 permits
Side at this late day when Short-Horns
nave reached the highest degree Of
refinement, it seems, compatible with
g good constitution and general useful
ness In fact, I think most Of you will
agree with the opinion that in some
cases the limit has been exceeded. and
mat there are Short-Horns to-day that
snow the effects of too close breeding
IN an excessive fneness of bone, lack
n ind -
throughout the whole animal. It is
evident that animals OF this character
can not be depended upon to produce a
healthy and robust progeny. If this
IS true, is. it not time to call halt,
ana 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 i
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
preference for this or that line or fam
lily to influence us against our better
Judgment and common sense? In Sc
lectlng sire should we not choose him
because ne possesses in superior de-
gree the qualities that we desire to
secure in the progeny, rather than be
Influenced altogether by the fact that
ha G Of orfio1 ofr of
that happens at the time to be of the
prevailing fashion, although he may be
| deficient in individual qualities? IN
other words, shall we select sire for
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
lily reputation? For that is the sum
| and substance Of the whole matter. It
is unfortunate, 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. sss ss. zi$ I. ls
- = ~ OCACA VI LuS iuCuE0
Will, IN my humble Judgment, be firm
believer in the value of pedigree, but
ne will insist that it be accompanied
6y unquestionable proof that the char
acteristics Of the ancestors were such
as to insure, the perpstuation of the
good qualities In the offspring. He will
not refuse to Introduce into the herd
sires bred from close affinities, pro-
vlded they possess in an unqualified e
degree the qualities already referred
70, but he will resolutely reject all that
do not measure up to that standard!
On the other hand. I believe that the
breeder of the future will not be ham
pered by the fact that the material he
selects is not In line bred, but that he
will unhesitatingly make use of mis-
cellaneously bred animals, always con- f
ditioned upon the fact, however, that
the converging strains, are from the
herds of men known and acknowledged
to have been distinguished and reputa-
Bile as breeders in their several ways.
And In SO doing he will but follow the
precedents left him by the greatest
breeders of the past
*s%z .s ~ AZ
Mutton the Primary Consideration.