The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1913-10-17
COMMUNITY BREEDING

Edw. Van Alstyne, of o.. New YORK,
contributes the following interesting
letter on the subject of community
breeding to a recent issue of Hoard s
Dairyman: -s.-... 49,. A.
Recently a young friend of mine
came to me for advice as to where
he could secure a foundation heara
of Guersneys or their grades. l knew
of but one place in this state where
such could be obtained in any number.
This is territory around Valley Falls,
in northern Rensselaer, county as
center. | wrote man there whom
l knew, and he replied: Come up,
they are here Accordingly we went.
When he met us at the train | asked
who had the cattle. He said: Most
everyone has some, we will get them
And we did, but we had to pay a
good price for them. l never saw a
more independent lot of settlers. The
fame of the region has spread abroad,
and buyers are journeying thither, as
did the sons of Jacob to Egypt because
they had heard there was much corn
in the land
Zone of our first stops was at the
farm of Mr.. Frank Buckley, one of the
pioneer breeders in this community.
He had just sold car of grades and
was looking for another. We found
nearly every first-class farmer with
at least few grades Many kept a
pure-bred bull and few pure-bred
females. My friend secured his quota,
having the opportunity to select such
as he wanted from rather wide ter
ritory. Only, one man objected selling
subject to the tuberculin test, and
there was only one suspicious case
after the cattle were brought to a
central point and tested. These men
obtained from one-third to half
more for their cattle than they would
have done had they not been well
bred. The demand enhances the
price, for here they can be obtained
in numbers sufficient to make it worth
while to come for them. Being bred
right they are valuable producers, and
unless they get their price they have
no need to sell.
my friend having just started farm
ing and having limited capital pur-
sued a very wise course. He spent
the sum available for a moderate
number of good cows rather than "a
large number of just cows. He start
ed with herd physically sound, even
though such cost more. He bought
cows suited to the kind of dairying he
proposes to follow, from breed pop
ular enough to Insure a demand for
his surplus young stock. Not having
money enough to put in all pure
breds, he purchased chiefly high
grades, with a uniformity of type,s
pure-bred bull from advanced regis
try stock, and two pure-bred females;
all, except one pure-bred COW, young
animals. :.
"In the early eighties three men
wise above their fellows-Messrs.
Borden, Buckley and Clifford, pur-
chased a few Guersneys. Their neigh
bors laughed at them. Mr. Borden
told me last week at the Guernsey
club meeting, that for some time at
neighborhood gatherings, he was
joked about his yellow and white
Guernseys. They We're wise enough
to select as their foundation stock that
of the best known Guernseys of the
day. Mr.. Clifford disposed of his herd
after a few years; but the others are
still breeding. When the worth of
these cattle began to be apparent,
neighbOrs availed themselves of the
service of the bulls, and began to
buy young ones. Mr.. Borden devel-
oped particularly tine herd, many
from which went into advanced reg
istry. He was one of the first to test
for tuberculosis, and lost heavily from
that disease. He has been free from
it for years, and has small but select
herd.
"Mr. Buckley soon began to special
lie in Guernseys and when his two
sons came to mans estate they also
continued with him. They have now
a large number on two farms. OF late
years, Mr.. Buckley has been a large
importer. He had one of the Island
champions at the fa~m, which he was
able to secure only ny agreeing to re-
tain her in his own herd. He has re-
Gently completed a modern stable
both practical, sanitary, convenient
and economical.
More recently not few pure-bred
herds have been established in the
section. At Greenwich in Washington
county, Mr.. l. c.. Blaudy has gathered
herd of the best blood obtainable