The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1900-09-27
The shorthorn the Great 1mprover.

Howard, Kan, ably set forth the spe-
cial points of superiority claimed for
the Shorthorn breed, at the meeting
of ShorthOrn breeders held in Kansas
City, Feb. 6th and 18th. Superiority in
size over all other beef breeds is one
OF the peculiar merits of the Short
horns. One of the main purposes for
which pure beef herds of beef cattle
are maintained is to improve the size
and feeding quality Of the common
cattle OF the country. The average
native scrub is fine enough in bone and
body to satisfy the most fastidious
packer, but he is a most Improbable
beast for the raiser or the feeder. No
breed will improve the size and feed
ing quality of the millions of native
scrubs so quickly as the Shorthorn.
And while improving size and feed
ing quality he will improve the milk
Ing quality Of the scrub in an equal
degree.
From my earliest experience when
l held a grade Shorthorn heifer calf
Tor my father at a local fair in West
ern Indiana forty years ago, to the
present time, I have peer a close OBJ
server under widely different condi-
tons Of the effect Of the improved
breeds upon the native cattle. Dur
ing a considerable portion of this time
nave been an extensive feeder of beef
cattle, handling all kinds impartially
under the same conditions, and with
out prejudice, except as created by my
experience in the feed lot. I was old
enough to observe the rapid improve
ment of our cattle in Western Indiana
by the use of registered and grade
S~horthorDs. That Improvement con-
t1nued until we were sending steers of
the highest class to Eastern markets.
mat era of improvement reached its
maximum nearly twenty years ago.
During the same time | had an OPP
~portun1ty to observe the same process
in Central Illinois.
No experienced range man, however,
can doubt that the Shorthorn made
far greater improvement on the native
Texas and Mexican cattle than could
nave been made by any other i'm
proved breed. Those qualities in
which they were most deficient were
the ones in which the Shorthorn par
tlcularly excelled all other breeds, SUI
perior size, width of back, depth of
IT'D, fulness of ham and natural do
clllty, and the power to transmit them
IN a marked degree. Those desirable
qualities were all implanted to some
extent in our western herds before the
other beef breeds were introduced.
The S%horthorn has been the pioneer
and the great improver. There has
been a marked deterioration in the
cattle of all sections in proportion as
the ~Shorthorns have been supplantd by
other breeds. There is scarcely a cat
tie raising section in the agricultural
states where the cattle are as good
as they were fifteen years ago. The
inferior quality of the cattle that go
to u public markets is a matter of
common observation. They show a
motley mingling of all strains. Who
can doubt that if the raisers of cattle
had faithfully adhered to the Short
horns, continuing to use the best sires
they were able to procure, the results
would have been far better.
But the farmer as we'll as the range
man began to imagine he wanted a
"rustler," an animal that could sur
vive the most possible hardship and
neglect. He did not then realize, as
he does now, that what he really need
ed was an animal that would give the
most liberal response in beef and milk
to the most liberal treatment, and that
the breeder was the one who ShOuld
do the "rustling" if he was to expect
the best results. Tried by the rigid
law of "the survival of the %fittest,' %
under range conditions, the pure bred
Texas longhorn was Immensely supe-
rior to n breed ever imported. 1t
must be apparent to every close OBJ
server that the ability to Withstand
neglect and adverse conditions is to
some extent impaired as we increase
the size Of our live stock. Extreme
size, whether in horses, hogs, or cat
tie, requires better feed and attention
to preserve the growth and thrift of
the animal, in order that it may reach
the limit of it's development.
Beef production, in the natural evo-
luton of the business, must come more
and more under farm conditions, where
the farmer and feeder, and not the ami
NAL, must do the rustling. AS popula-
ton increases, milk must play a more
, and more important part in the econ
omics of beef production. 1t does not
require the gift of prophesy to sec
that the time is approaching hen the
sr1o1rahIa Qualities combined in the