The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1901-07-06
No greater mistake is made by the

NO greater mistake is made by the
average farmer who grows cattle than
the little consideration that is given
to adaptation; with the many, the
paramount question is, which is the
best breed? 1t ought to be, which is
the best breed for my conditions? it
may be possible for a man to change
or modify adaptation in a breed, but
TO do that will take generations of
careful breeding and feeding. But
why should the energies of a life time
be thus expended on the notifications
OF Il breed, when one of the many
breeds now in this country will eX-
actly meet the needs of the farmer?
Life is too precious to waste it thus.
Wherever the land is level in char
acter, the soil rich and fodder and
gram production is abundant, the
large breeds of cattle can be main
tanned under such conditions with the
highest profit. 1t may not be so easy
to verify such an assumption by the
facts OF actual demonstration. That
large breeds, however, are usually
NNP' ~ StCh COllulllO1S IS at ltdSt
a presumptive proof hat the farmers
have found them more profitable than
the small breeds. 1t is also highly
probable that large animals, under
the conditions named, can be relative
ly more cheaply maintained than
small ones. For instance, suppose one
cattle beast large in size produces as
much as two small ones of an equal
combined weight, it will be main
tanned more cheaply than the two
small animals, especially in a cold eli
mate, since more food will be con-
sumed in driving the machinery of
two living organizations than in driv-
ing the machinery of one with equal
capacity to the two. A large breed
will De the best, therefore, for such
conditions, other things being equal
whether the farmer seeks meat, mill
or the two combined.
Suppose, however, that the farm j.
mainly composed of rugged land, sim
' liar to that which forms the bluffs
) along the Mississippi, and that thu
l soil is light. The production OIL sucl
land will not be nearly S abundan
I as on the level and high prairie farm
It would be a mistake to introduce
ponderous breed on such Il farm. !
light breed, such as the Devon, for in
stance, could readily climb the bluff
and gather food, whereas u ponder
Gus breed, like the Shorthorn, coul
I succeed only in carrying their heav
t bodies over such land by labored e;
G fort; while, therefore, the former,
small breed, would almost certainl
succeed well under such condition
the large breed would not prove
success.
@ Then again, there are farms thu
e are intermediate in character. The
q have pastured lands upon them tn;
are undulating and in some i~nstanc,
lie hilly. They also have upon them lie
S ell stretches, where plentiful food su
n plies may be grown with which
10 sustain them i'll winter. Here, the
nc are conditions suited to the mai
IS tenance of the intermediate breed
k as for instance, the Red Polls or t
m Ayrshires.
Where protection can not be fl
C, nished. the natural hardihood of t
animal is an important factor. b
as under farm conditions, it is not
important relatively, since that me;
er ure of protection can usually be fl
nisled, suited to the needs of t
fit breed. 1t is not to be understoC
Er however, that hardihood in bree'
an even on the arabic farm, is not an i
10 portant consideration.-Prof. TIL
.ot Shaw, in Texas Farm and Ranch.