Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-12-01

| Ion, was the surprising ana unexpect-
ed announcement that startled the
sporting world few days since. This
announcement, while it interested horse
men, probably produced only passing
effect on the average farmer. The
modern trotting raeehorse may be
properly classed as belonging TO "fancy
stock" bred and kept for mere pleasure
and sporting purposes. To the man de-
string roadhorse for practical business
use Lou Dillon would not be worth more
than, if as much as, an eleven-hundred-
pound horse that could trot mile in
about three minutes, and which had the
muscle, nerve and endurance to draw its
owner ten to twelve miles an hour or
from fifty to seventy miles day with
out injury to itself.
Notwithstanding this fact, the men
that bred and developed Lou Dillon
have done the breeding world an in
calculable benefit in rearing and develop
ing a horse capabc of the wonderful
performance accredited to her. This
mare is a striking and forcible object
lesson to the breeder of what man has
done and what man can do.
She is largely the product of artificial
creation. Unassisted nature never pro-
duced horse that could trot mile in
three minutes. None of Lou Dillon's
ancestors ever trotted a mile within six
seconds of the time in which she execut-
ed her late surprising performance.
Something more than heredity was
necessary to produce the perfected type
of horse she represents. That some
thing we denOminate environment"
She possesses an added element which
she can transmit to her offspring, but
that she did not receive from her ances-
tors. That element has been added by
the man who reared, developed and
trained her. She stands for the two
essential elements that enter into the
work of the breeder who would leave The
world better than he finds ito wit,
heredity and environment.
The horse is not the only animal sus-
ceptible to these two influences; nor is
he more susceptible TO them than the
cow, the hog, the sheep or the hen. 1t
has taken more than two thousand years
work in development and heredity to
produce Lou Dillon. This work has
been continuous in one direction, and
that for the development OF nerve, speed
and endurance. Similar effort has been
and will be attended with the same re-
suits in the development of the COW for
the production of milk, butter or beef;
in the sheep for the production of wool
and mutton; the hog for pork and the
hen for eggs.
When Flora Temple trotted mile in
the then unprecedented time of 2:l1 81
q. tn haar hnrSamHn
that day say: "Flora Temple may be
beaten. but they will never beat her
time. The highest possible speed for a
horse has been reached" To-day Flora
Temple would not reach the distance
pole in the modern race.
A little over quarter OF a century ago
the highest annual yield of milk for one
COW was less than $4,000 pounds and a
weekly WELD of about fourteen pounds
| of butter was the maximum. These
! figures were given as marvellous maxi
mum production. To-day over 10000
pounds of milk has been exceeded in
/ wear by one COW, and over thirty pounds
/ of butter week has been produced to
the COW. The practical business COW
has more than kept pace with the
! 0fancy" bred trotting horse in progress
i've development. Where the limit OF
possible production lies no man to-day
Care predict, but it has not to this time
been reached.
In the trotting world this progressive
( advancement has not been confined to
single horse, nor to a limited number OF
: horses. The advance has been "all
I along the line" The average race trot-
ter of to-day is as far ahead of the aver
ace of thirty years ago as is Lou Dillon
ahead of the fastest of that period. The
! same ought TO be said of the domestic
farm animal, but it cannot. The reason
is this-and desire To emphasize it, for
( the reason ought not to exist-every
sportsman is trying to breed the best
possible. The average farmer is not
irving to do the same. The fault lies
with the farmer, not with the animal.
Often the element OF heredity is lacking,
partially or wholly; more often the en-
| yironments are Sadly dersctlve. Undei
proper care and development the average
heifer will be better than her mother or
| the combined mother nd mother OF sire
There is no standstili IN ne life OF the
] breeder; if the stOcS is not advancing
| and improving it is Ietrograding.
The Almighty has placed this matter
in the hands of mau, and he alone Is
| answeraple to himself and his Maker FOL
the consequences, whether they be gooo
or bad. What has been said of the horse
and COW is equally true wnen speaking
| of the sheep, hog, hen or other domestic
animal.
How should the young animal be fec
and reared? The young calf should o'
separated from the mother at oirth
Alter it is taught to drink, for the mrs
two weeks, it should be led not to ex
ceed two quarts of new milk three time:
daily. One and one-ualt quarts to th'
feed. with enough warm water added Il
the milk Gf Ayrshire, Jersey or Guern
sev) To make two quarts, is plenty; one
third water can be added to new milk
with good results. AT the end OF two
weeks, skim milk can be gradually sub
stituted, slowly increasing the quantity
and if the milk be warmed by adding
boiling water up TO one-third, 1t Is al
right. Also, at this time oilcake mea
and little wheat middlings may begll
TO be added. A tablespoonful of Oil
cake meal soaked over night or for few
hours until it is jelly will do for start
watching results and decreasing II ao
E normal looseness OF the bowels appears
Great care should be used in increasin.
the oilcake meal and middlings
1 watching the effect on the bowels ant
; noting the general results. After TIVE
months little fine ground cornmea
i NAV be added, but at no time over one
quarter of total grain feed, and it is bet
ter to feed that only in cool or coll
weather. Cornmeal only serves to fat
ten and keep the animal warm. In
3 oilcake meal and bran tend to develop
u nerve, muscle, blood and bone, tn
essential elements in the development
!; of the future dairy cow. Never fatteu
= Simply keep in healthy, growing, vlgoi
: ous condition. Glover hay is among tn
best possible feeds for the development
of dairy or milk giving qualities. Ii
tendency to lay on flesh follows the IN
PRODUCTION of cornmeal in the feee
$ diminish the quantity. Side hill pas
% ures tend to give muscular and nerV
development so essential IN the dair
n COW.
g The first year of milk giving is crit
4 cal and important one in developing tn
2 future cow. She should be encourage
nv every possible means to continue tn