The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1900-08-30
short Horns OF tho Future.

AT the FEBRUARY meeting OF the
Short-Horn breeders, held in Kansas
City, Hon. s. T. Loekridge of Green
castle, Indiana, contributed a paper
In which he said in part:
Now 1t is admitted. 1 believe, that
ln-and-in breeding has a tendency to
reduce the size, to refine the form gem
orally and to increase the disposition
toward early maturity. How long this
practice can be followed without inn
pairing the useful qualities in the anil
NAL is a 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 Blackwell, 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 permits
sible at this late day when Short-Horns
have reached the highest degree OF
refinement, it seems, compatible with
q 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
that there are Short-Horns to-day that
show the effects OF too close breeding
in an excessive ineness of bone, lack
of scale and indication of delicacy
throughout the whole animal. 1t Id
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 a halt
n as practical, common-sense men,
having the best interests of the breed
at heart, advise a 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
lily to influence us against u better
judgment and common sense? In Sc
Letting a sire should we not choose him
because he possesses in a superior de-
gree the qualities that we desire to
secure in the progeny, rather than be
influenced altogether by the fact that
he is of a particular strain of blood
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 a 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 othez
, hands have not maintained the fam
lily reputation? For that is the sum
and substance of the whole matter. II
is unfortunate, I think, that o many
breeders continue to worship at thu
shrine of their early love SO long after
the source of inspiration has lost its
power. >
The successful breeder of the future
will, in my humble judgment, be a firm
believer in the value of pedigree, but
he will insist that 1t be accompanied
, by unquestionable proof that the char
acteristics of the ancestors were such
as to insure the perpetuation OF the
good qualities in the offspring. He viii
not refuse to introduce into the herd
| sires bred from close affinities, pro
vided they possess in an unqualified
l degree the qualities already referred
to, but he will resolutely reject all thai
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 ht
will unhesitatingly make use Of mis-
ce%llaneously bred animals, always con
l ditioned upon the fact, however, ina
the converging strains are from TIM
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 thu
presidents left him by the creates
e breeders of the past.