The Grit-advocate., 1906-01-26
|llVEi.
STOCK
CHOOSING q Breed.


mon to the effect that beginner in
given farming district should choose a
breed different from that handled by
MS immediate neighbor II he is to
expect profit from the live stock breed
ing business. There is no more &C.
rious error than this. Success comes
from unity and combination or CO
operation In business. Selfish rivalry
and unfair competition hurt both
parties involved. 1t Is therefore best
ior young man to commence win
tnat breed OF cattle. horses, sheep or
swine which has by some one else
oeen made success of in the district.
H. for instance. several breeders have
long handled Shorthorn cattle to good
advantage In community, it would be
unwise for beginner to start out
with HerefOrds or Aberdeen-AnSus
cattle. There is nothing the matter
with either of the last-named breeds.
Either one OF them may be handled to
advantage and at profit, but where
another breed has become popular 1t
would seem wise to stick to that breed
rather than introduce different one
as rival.
1t may be taken for granted that
where any particular breed Of live
stock has long been bred to good ad-
vantage the environment suits that
breed and may not so well suit an.
other. at the same time it is certain
mat friends Of the established breed
are everywhere in that district and
that the name and fame of the district
as the breeding center OF particular
type and breed Of animals has become
widespread, SO that buyers go there to
purchase animals annually at an ap-
preciative price, Were a beginner to
start out with an alien breed in such
district he would have to build up
name for it and SO in time command
the patronage of the buyer. This
would take much time and money to
achieve, and meanwhile trace would
nave come in had the beginner gone
into the same business as his neigh.
bors. 1t is well when a district is
thus engaged in the production Of one
or more good products or srecialties.
but 1t must be confessed that very
many instances might be cited where,
instead of harmony existing, breeders
are opposed to one another and each
engaged In different breeding efforts
and endeavoring to belittle and hinder
the efforts of the other.
In some small counties it Is possible
to find almost all of the breeds of cat
tie represented. and some of the herds
are OF first-class quality and breeding.
1t would be better for all concerned
had each of these districts or counties
decided upon single breed of beef
cattle and single breed of dairy
cattle, and its breeders then COM
bined into county association for the
purpose of furthering by every legiti-
mate means the interest of the parti-
cular breed handled. Buyers would
become plentiful in such a center and
quality would decide the values OF
each mans animals and the amount
of profit he would make annually as
compared with that of his neighbor
engaged in the same business. 1t is
a difficult matter for single breeder
to make a success of his animals in
a given district. and success only
comes after many years of patient
effort, wide advertising and consider
able expense.
In choosing breed we would there.
fore advise the beginner to select one
that is known TO be suitable for the
district in which the stud, herd, or
flock Is to be established-one that
has been proved suitable by long ex.
perience of neighbors who are engaged
in that production. If there is no such
breed in the district or If there is a
great diversity of opinion and practice
in the breeding of animals. the begin
ner will then have to study for him
self, but will do best to get his neigh
bors together and have them form an
association and take up the breeding
OF one class of animals as a speciality.
AS has often been mentioned here,
there is special need of uniformity in
district horse breeding. In too many
districts there Is no concerted action
for the rational improvement of horse
stock Mongrels and misfits are still
Ang bred, whereas one or two special
types might easily be raised and sold
annually at profit. were breeders to
combine for such work-A. S. AleXan-
der in Farmers Review.