The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1906-02-15
A TALK TO sTocKMeN.
Some Advice as to How to Improve
the Breed of the Animals on
the Farm.

Producers of live stock and animal
products might be classified into sew
eral groups. but there are one or two
classes in particular that we wish to
consider briefly. First. there is that
class engaged largely in the production
of pedigreed animals to be disposed OF
for purposes of improvements: we have
no criticism to offer this class they
are by far too few and do not receive
the support and announcement that
their efforts deserve.
The average producer Of meats and
milk mot breeder) seems determined
not to pay more than about meat
prices for males to infuse improved
blood In his herd or flock, and the
breeder cannot make a living produc-
Ing them at these prices. Failing to
secure improved males at these low
prices too many producers fall back
on the grade or even the scrub, and
frequently combine with this in.
breeding. The greatest and most press
ing needs to-day in live stock improve
ment are more breeders. more good
males and more men willing to pay
remunerative prices for them and
cease admixing blood and using grades
and scrubs.
Let us suppose the case of farmer
with bunch of 20 cows and heifers
of common and mixed breedings, says
Robert S. Shaw, in the Prairie Farmer.
In general this man cannot sell of
these mixed and common cows and re.
place them with pure-bred ones. for
two reasons; first, II many were to at.
tempt this at once the pedigreed ami
mails could not be secured. they are too
few; and. second, the finances of few
men would permit such a course. as
1t might take the returns from several
common cattle to secure one good one
The producer who Is heavily embar-
rassed financially and who has to cash
every available product as soon as sal.
able in order to meet the pressing
obligations is in severe straits when
thoughts of radical live stock improve
ment are considered, but we hope this
class Is small
The first step toward improvement
must be to make the best possible use
of the stock In hand. We suggest that
the herd be looked over carefully and
graded into three classes; namely
good. medium and inferior. We then
suggest that the two first classes be
retained and the last disposed OF as
quickly az possible In the best avail.
able way.
Next the producer must stop, think
and decide upon what line or lines oi
animal production he desires to follow
and then breed with no other purpose
in view but that one. Then. in thu
case of the herd of cattle. secure tn,
best-pedigreed bull of the breed show
ing the desired type that the pocket
book will allow; when he can be uset
no longer without in-breeding, secure
better one of the same breed. and 81
on in constant succession.
Not more than two or three genera
tions will have been produced by thu
good bulls from the common or mixet
bred cows before their progeny viii
conform quite closely to the type o
the ancestors, and as producers of mea
or milk they will soon almost equa
the capabilities of the breed used To-
Improvement We must not forget
however, that these up-graded animals
in most instances can never posses
pedigrees, nor can they attain the sam
degree of prepotency as the breed uset
for Improvement. AT the same tim
that the first sire Is chosen we sugges
| that a female or two of the same bloc,
as the bull be secured, II possible. Th
progeny OF these two or three regis
tered animals should grow into a mic
| little herd at the end of ten years
which could be used to replace tn
poorer Of the high grades.
That the high grade is useful AM
NAL cannot be disputed; 1t forms tn
bulk OF the western feeders coming +
our feed lots: II makes up almost tn
same total of the 100000 prime steer
that annually cross the Atlantic;
occupies no mean place in the list O
awards In fat classes at state, nation
al and international live stock shows
It is highly desirable that some forr
of cooperation for communities shoul
be established, by which males coul
be owned and used by several partle
rather than one. In theory, thes
propositions sound well, but in actua
practice they have not worked well, a
illustrated by the numerous unsatis
factory results from the joint owner