The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-03
URGES COOPERATIVE
LIVE STOCK BREEDING

Especial to The Richmond virginian,l
Blaoksburs. Va. Feb. al. l.
Bishop. dairy husbandman of the sx-
tension division, has this to say on the
subject of cooperative live stock
breeding:
Although the use OF grade and
scrub sires 10 responsible, TO a GER
tain extent. for the production and
husbandary of inferior cattle. the In
discriminate admixture OF the blood
of various breeds has been one Of the
most direct causes.
do not mean that ouch mistakes
are confined to the crossing of dairy
cattle on beef cattle or vice versa, but
the crossing of different breeds in the
same class are included. Some viii
differ with me, but l have never seen
a COW. the offspring Of mixture OF
two breeds, that would not have been
q better cow. had her dam been bred
20 q sire equally as good OF her own
breeding We still have, in spite of
q united and persistent effort, to Sc
cure uniformity in breeding opera
lions. a class of men who contend
that certain CROSSES mick" better. and
result In superior product Live
stock Improvement and intensified
characteristics have come through
functional variation and not through
the combination of different breeds
Euuipping the farm with the class
of stock that will increase profits
over those Of the inferior class with
which q great many farmers are
stocked. IL an expensive undertaking,
and often prevents the parting from
year to year. with Unsatisfactory ami
mails In order to get better ones
Small breeders, and those Just getting
started in the business, often cannot
afford the best sires and as n result
nnust be satisfied with cheap ones, or
PAY g. heavy service fee for good
one, A great many choose the easiest
and most dangerous route-~4fhs cheap.
inferior sire. Organized community
breeding offers opportunities for the
small breeder TO Improve his herd by
the use OF the best sireH owned CO.
operativefy. Sometimes II becomes
necessary 10 sacrifice a. few personal
fAncies. but individuals who can lay
aside personal preferences sufficiently
to conform TO the community ideals
are on the right road 20 successful
breeding.
they would be- forced TO adopt breeds
and breeding standards, which they
had not intended to adopt. they have
held aloof and have discouraged. or
sven prevented. any cooperative
movement in their community to eff
feet the introduction of better breed
Ing stock and better methods. In or
der to pursue successfully any line
or work one must secure ai the in
formation obtainable that is appiicabl
to his business. He needs the con-
slant help and counsel of his best In
formed and most successful associates
whit are engaged In the same kind of
work. A community breeders asso-
citation offers its members an oppor-
eurity 70 keep themselves posted on
everything that pertains to their work
| Those communities In which there
are goodly number OF animals Of
any recognised breed are finding read
Ter sales at high prices for surplus
stock than those OF Individual breed
ers that are more or less scattered
The most feasible plan Is to have all
the cattle IN herd. and a large mum
Der OF the herds in given commu-
| nifty, Of one distinct type and hreed
me chief cause OF the unstable and
dissatisfied condition OF our great
army of dafrymen today IL prorniscu-
onH and haphazard breeding and selec-
tfon. which together with the same
KIND Of care and feeding. accounts for
the large number Of inferior and an
profitable cows TO be found.
Z The first community orgs riyat,o-
for live stock Improvement r. wis
consfn, state noted for its co-opera-
tive enterprises. was formed in 1904
ana was known as the waukeuha
Guernsey Breeders association. ITnttI
1904. and for twenty years previous
Waukesha county had only one Guern.
sey breeder. In Ave wears after tho az.
socintion was formed, waukesha bad
forty-two per cent OF all the Cuerp
sey cattle in Wisconsin. and nine per
cent of all in the United States
That association has accomplished rs-
suits which are typical of what may
lions.
Cooperative breeding in no wav
destroys the individuality of breeders
and where one man in the association
excels ~ fellow members. he fs ma
turally rewarded The beginner NAV
feel that his opportunity in compe-
tition with older and better known
breeders is small. but TO be associated
with an organized community int
which many buyers travel offers great
advantages, besides furnishing a
chez and more feasible means az
improving the live stock, the greatest
advantage OF community breeding IA
the opportunity II affords for dispos-
Ing OF surplus stock In selling live
STOCK, other things being equal. the
Individual or community which offers
large numbers TO select from Ia usual
ly visited first. Effective publicity
cor be had IN means OF descriptive
pam phiets and cooperative advertis-
Ing. under the name OF the association,
The associations do not dictate what
prices man shall accept for his cat
tie, but aid him 10 get In touch with