The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-16

wood calves the cuifS ana &redes were or. ferred to tho few southern buyers who applied for cattle. But now the northern and western breeders are competing for southern trade. They are coming atter it. we are glad of it. We welcome them But let us raise the standard of our wants. A
 ..It should be the aim of every breeder to buy the best bull to head his herd and as many good cows and heifers as he can afford to feed. Breed and raise the best cattle and some one will always be ready to nav a good price for the increase of yotr herd. There may be such thing as an unreasonably high price for fancy strains of cattle, but even then the buyer Of breeding an- finals does not always lose by having the best blood to breed from. Good animals always sell for more than poor ones. Do not xo into the cattle business of any kind to raise and sell scrubs-not even 'pedigreed'i scrubs.
 .'The experience of breeders of all kinds of animals teaches that breeding from average animals means that the major ity of the offspfings win be below the av- craze. It is interesting and instructive to note that the roan -Shorthorns are leading the red ones: because some yeals ago many Shorthorn breeders bred onIy red Shorthorns for the red fad in the trade. Consequently the roans that weIe not extra good were sent to the block and only the very best roans were used as breeders. This forced process of se- lecting the best has so bred up the roam shorthorn that they are now the chaE,- pions of the Shorthorn world.
 A Live Stock Fair.
 ''If possible, this Association and the farmers of Alabama should bring into ex- istence an Alabama State Live Stock and Horticultural Fair. ItsNvalue to the far mer cannot be over-estimated. It is of far more value to Alabama than an ex- hibit at St. Louis or any other distant place. A State Agricultural Fair should be centrally and permanently located. It should be conducted on strictly business principles and in q few years 1t would be upon a growing and self-supportlhg basis. Let the Commercial and Industrial Association ask themselves if it would not pay the business men of Montgom- cry to buy Riverside Park and turn 1t over to a properly organized State Far Board and help them to establish and run a first-class State Agricultural Fair. Would 1t not be advisable for this Asso- ication to appoint a committee to inves- tigate this question.
 '"The live stock industry of the South is badly in need of a large modern pack ing house. The time may not be qultc ripe for it, because the farmers are not accustomed to feeding cattle sheep and hogs to a packing house finish, and cap italists are not aware of the growing livestock industry in the South. The ag- rlcultural and secular papers should dis cuss this question and. call the attention of the capitalists to the possibility of the South being able to furnish meat to South and Central America. With water shipping facilities, with growing beef cai- tie industry and with the Panama Canal in sight, a well located packing house in tho South could not help reaping rich re- turns. Let the call for a packing house be repeatedly made by commercial clubs. live stock associations and agricultui dl clubs and by every one who Is interested in the prosperity and success of South ern agriculture. and Southern industries.
 Montgomery County Roads.
 ''It is hardly necessary for me to say that every county in Alabama should copy the wagon roads of Montgomery County. We hear so much about the ne- cessIty of a State exhibit at St. Louis (which would be valuable if we could afford iD, and for special immigrant agents in order to catch hordes of imnn- grants. In my humble opinion good rOaQS, rAlSlnR UVeStOCk ana ulVeTSlIitu farming by our people. our farmers. will do more toward attracting valuable and desirable farmers from other States and countries than all the rank exaggera. tions made by glittering and costly eE- hibits or by special agents. Successful farming is infectious, contagious, catch ing spreading even to distant lands. In- stance the number of city cotton farm- CTS who are now trying to ride out in the country upon 17 cent cotton craze. Let us hope that they will not be forced to walk back.
 "lt IS gratifying to all lovers of ag- rIculture to know that the study of ag- riculture is now required in all the com mon schools of Alabama. Moreover, the branch agricultural schools are anxious for funds with which to buy livestock to be used for breeding purposes and in teaching practical live stock lessons to their students. Some of the schools have chickens and hogs, and the First Dis trict School at Jackson has just pur- chased a fine Hereford bull. Every one of them should have cattle, sheep, hogs and chickens. To learn the ways Of feeding, breeding and selecting. the stu dent must do the work or see 1t done.
 "The Tuskegee Normal School has brought from Pennsylvailia number or