The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-11-01

for the foundation herd or flock. Be-
cause of such erroneous ideas the men
who comprehend the business thor
oughly and have the right stock to
sell, find it very difficult to dispose of
the stock at much above stock market
prices.
During the past few days two in
stances of the kind referred to have
come to our notice through letters
from men who have fine stock to
sell One letter came from a Bel
bingham breeder of poultry-stocK
that can boast some of the finest
strains among its members. He
writes that a party wrote him in re-
ply to an advertisement in The
Ranch, asking for cock and dozen
hens of his best Barred Rocks. The
birds the breeder selected were among
the very best he had and the cock was
one for which he had refused SIS last
spring. His price was $3.50, which
he considered a bargain figure, taking
their breeding and quality into con-
sideration. The inquirer did not re-
ply, so the breeder wrote again and
was told that the inquirer considered
from 81 to So enough for the lot.
Just think of it! The market price
for common poultry was 13 cents and
the total weight of these 13 birds was
SO pounds, making them worth $1O.79
if sold for meat, yet the inquirer
thought they were not worth more
than Sc at the highest, notwithstand-
ing their pure blood and good quail
ties.
The same breeder mentions another
case. where a lady came to his yards
to purchase two fine hens and cock
erel. He asked SIS for the hens and
the cockerel together. The latter was
a bird for which he usually got $3.50
alone. Upon naming the price to the
lady he thought she was going to
faint, but she revived and went Off
without another word! The breeder
wondered what she had expected to
pay for the pick of the flock, but he
had no opportunity to find out.
An Oregon breeder of fine Poland
Chinas writes us that too much line
stock is being sold at butchers prices
which demoralizes the market for pure
bred stock of high quality. Of course
there is no money in the business
when such practices are general. He
SAYS the breeders who have stock OF
merit and bred pure should pick out
the best individuals and set them
aside for sale to those who want good
breeding stock, then sell the animals
of Indifferent merit to the butcher at
regular prices. Too few breeders
seem to realize the Importance of do
ing this if the fine stock industry is
to be built up. When they under
stand this fully they will be able to
make good profits out of their finely
bred animals-but so long as they ig-
more the necessity of properly select
ing the best individuals and dispos-
ing of the poorer ones as soon as prac-
ticable, just so long will they be won
dering why the fine stock business
does not pay.
The time is ripe for the breeders
of the west to sit up and take notice.
They should know that in the east
ern states the breeders have long
practiced a rigid culling system and
have kept up campaign of education
calculated to show the buyer that it
does not pay to select anything but
the best, even if the price is two or
three times larger. The result is that
wherever you may go in the eastern
states you will find fine hogs, cattle
and horses, we'll worth good price
and bred along lines that are full of
good blood and possess real merit.
Until each breeder puts into practice
these requirements the condition of
the fine stock industry will be de-
moralized and generally Improbable.
Only Pretends to Support the Fair.
The Yakima Republic says: "The
Ii I. 40