Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-04-06
BLACK THINGS ON THE FARM.

nLASA IhlNuS ON The CAnMs
The question Of color in our domestic
animals cuts no small figure with
many men in the selection Of varieties
to keep. There is probably more than
one breeder of Shorthorn cattle who is
welded to red as standard color for
his stock, when the facts are that a
large proportion Of the prize winners
at our stock shows of this breed are
any other color than rcd. some of the
top notchers being roam, while pure
white is associated with some of the
best ShorthOrn pedigrees in the coun-
try. This color fad may easily be
carried to extremes and in some cases
is. Uniformity of color in herd Is.
however, desirable, in that such herd
is thus more attractive in appearance.
Speaking Of the colors of domestic
animals, we note that among the most
valuable are the black ones. This color
not only harmonizes with the green
fields. but in the northern latitude be-
speaks a degree of hardness suited to
our variable climatic conditions. There
is the black Percheron hOrse-he of the
shiny, silky coat, powerful as loco
motive. gentle as kitten, true as steel,
sound as dollar; no CURLY, splint
legged balky brute is he, without pedf-
gree, a product of chance, where mans
invention thwarted nature in her effort
Of hn
Hitch three of these horses to six
teen inch sulky plow, and, as we saw
last fall, put pretty girl in sunbon-
net upon the seat to drive them, and
lust see her turn over four or five
acres in a day while her town sister
sack or discussing some ethical
problem at some womans club. There
Is girl worth having, as we'll as
team, black eyed, black haired beau
ty-gritty, independent, resOurceful.
helpful and rich in health, good looks
and executive ability. Hitch two Of
these horses up, and the residents Of
the town will say, "There goes Jones
and his $500 team"
Then there are the "DOddies," the
Ethiopian kings Of the beef tribe, broad
backed smooth lords of the blue grass;
royal bullocks, whose juicy, marbled
flesh will glut the carnivorous appetite
of some old wide punched gormand
in English ducal halls, who with their
near relatives, the Galloways, represent
the best and most modern machines for
converting blue grass, clover and corn
into money and besides, have way Of
taking all the prizes at the state fairs.
Then there is his excellency the Po-
land China hog, the western farmers
mortgage litter and barn builder and
the begetteg Of more healthy bank ac-
counts than any other animal. Black as
Erebus, he roots out and sleeps away
his brief existence, reveling in unlim-
tied clover, milk and corn till the very
luxurious riot of living, as with man,
simply hastens his end. He not only
pays the mortgage and builds big red
barns, puts surrey in the carriage
shed, a piano in the home and sends
the boys and girls to college, but helps
pay the preacher and convert the heath
en-. Your Chester Whites and Jersey
Reds are to him as cOmmOners to the
aristocrat-poor relations.
In smaller way in the poultry yard
no breeds of fowls will be found more
profitable or handsomer in general ap-
pearance than the Black Spanish and
Langshans, prolific egg producers and
hlanI tho aaa Of shades