Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-03-02

The following paper was rco;a BY II.
o. Carroll before the last meeting Of
the Illinois Swine Breeders Associs-
ton:
The subject assigned me is one that
might be drawn out to cover vast
field, but my time Is too limited to
permit of dealing with the subject In
detail.
SeIfishness is one OF the worst barn
acles on the hog business. How many
really selfish men succeed in the busi-
ness? I claim that selfish breeder
will never make the business success.
The successful breeder must be lib
eral enough to see the faults and i'm
projections OF his own herd and when
he finds a cross in the herd Of
brother breeder that would be an i'm
provement on his own, try to secure
it, and not be selfish enough to per-
NIT his own herd to go to wreck rather
than buy from a brother breeder. I
remember seeing this notice in a sale
catalogue: "If you haven't what the
people want, get 1t, and then you will
find ready sale for what you are Of
fering." The remark is as true as the
rising of the sun. When I was in the
breeding business I was glad to find
some other fellows that had something
better than myself. l bought to i'm
prove my own herd.
Then there are show barnacies. The
people can see for themselves. 1t does a
breeder good to get beaten sometimes
Nothing is more disgusting and tire
some than to have to listen to the
lamentations of a defeated exhibitor.
Life Is too short, take your defeat
cheerfully.
There is the state fair barnacle. He
Is the fellow that breeds and gathers
up a lot Of cheap stuff and takes to
our state fair exhibitions. He as
rule has no interest in the advance
ment of any breed. He cares nothing
for the interest OF the fair. Nine"
tenths OF this class would not give the
agricultural papers nalf-iinch adver-
tisement under any circumstances.
though those papers have put both
time and money into the advancement
Of the interests Of the breeds. They
sit down in the pens right beside the
men that have been liberal enough to
put their means and almost undivided
attention back of grandly bred herd
that will improve the stock interests
generally. They sell their animals for
little more, and sometimes less, than
pork prices, thereby injuring the en-
tire swine raising business.
There is also the red light and dan
ger-signal barnacle. We have a few
of them yet, but they are becoming
scarcer. They draw little ring around
themselves and never step outside OF
it. They live in their shells and are
afraid to peep out for fear they might
see red light-they are always looK-
ing for disasters. They are the TEL
lows that would not give over SIT for
a boar to stand at the head OF their
a boar to stand at the head of their
herd, and they will sell their own
stock from SIS down, and try to make
you believe that their animals are JUST
as good as others that you would have
to pay $50 for. These are the fellows
that write In the stock journals ana
tell Just how to raise hogs. and say
that business was never better, anu
that they have shipped 50 many sows
and boars within certain dme. Wnen
l read those articles I am inclined to
believe they are telling the truth, es-
pecially the boar part Of 1t, but my
opinion is they ship them to Chicago
or some other fat stock market, ana
would rather stand the dockase than
to cut the animals whom they are
pigs, for they know they Will make
poor barrows. Good breeders who are
really doing a good business do not
have the time to write long tiresome
articles for publication in the stock
journals, sounding the alarm or call
ing attention to the danger signals
and of all the traps that the "rascais
have set to catch the unwary. Busy
honest. upright breeders are unsuspect-
ing. When honest men go into sales
they are not lavish with their criticism
Of the methods of the man that Is hold
ing the sale, nor do they denounce him
as dishonest without having as thor
oughly ascertained the facts In the
case. The man that spreads distrust
is hurting his own business as we'll as
that Of others.
There are a few honest barnaeles.
There Is nothing more commendable
than honesty. This should be the
largest stone on which the man builds
his foundation for his business. On
the other hand some breeders will tell
you with delight Of the dishonest
methods Of some other breeder, and
then with nudge in the side and a
SLY wink will say that they would not
do such thing, oh not for the world.
Selling Good Brood Mares.
The good brood mare is worth moro