The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-09-04
:s .s] AGE-HERA FARM PAGES :EEs.2252 ?ssy]
NATION WIDE DRIVE ON STOCK

partment of agriculture is to furnish an
 official emblem, suitable for display, to
 every farmer agreeing to use only pure
 bied sires and in other ways to coop
 crate in the better live stock effort To
 obtain the emblem a farmer or breeder
 will be asked to fill out a simple blank
 showing the number and kind of live
 stock he possesses and also to declare
 that all his male breeding animlls a, 0
 pure-breds. from t. number 1nd ma
 trFe of the pls.pks received the depart-
 melt will be ahie to measure the ,ts-
 gress of the crusade, and at the same
 inc obtain va,ulOis statistical inforna tiol which will be made public as sult-
 able intervals.
 The betterment of the nations live stock is by no means new idea The topic has been discussed at length from public platforms and m the agricultural press for many years. Agricultural col leges, breeders associations, various live stock organizations, banking and busi- ness interests. live stock judges and ex- perts-these and other forces are re- sponsible chiefly for the progress already made and the sentiment for further de- velopment.
 ORGANIZATION OF CAMPAIGN A general coordination of the work. however. now seems desirable, with a minimum of red tape and a maximum of red blood. So far as the activities of
 the department of agriculture in the cru sade are concerned, the bureau of ani- nal industry, in cooperation with the state colleges of agriculture, will be re- sponsible for live stock policies, especial Fly the breeding work and scientific prob lems. The states relation service of the department will work in cooperation with the colleges of agriculture for car " ing the plan of action through the extension divisions to every live stock owner who can be reached. County agents and other field workers of the department and the colleges will be local sources of information and assistance. While it is believed that stock men oi the country naturally look to agricul-
 tural officials to, inaugurate crusade of this kind, the problem primarily is one of adequate pr oduction and effective dis trihution. Responsibility for success de , perds accordingly on breeders and all
 RESPONSIBLE TO PEOPLE 1 For several months the department has been making an analysis of i've stock sentiment as ex:,re ssed in the farm press and in correspondence received in its various offices. Of all the topics dis cussed the need for a better quality oi domestic animals has been pre-eminent 1 To make the crusade against scrub live ] stock most effective the department wei comes constructive ideas and suggestions from all sources. The following classes
 of live stock are to be included in the
 campaign for improvement: Cattle, asses
 horses swine, sheep, goats and poultry.
 In spite of the conspicuous merits ol l the task about to be undertaken, there are also a number of obstacles. It is | recognized that sentiment in favor of pure-bred sires, while strong. is by no means unanimous. To win the support of those who through lack of interest or opposition, fail to take their part in the crusade against scrub live stock is ] one of the problems to be met,
 The cost of desirable pure-bred sires 1 is another important factor which has long been an obstacle to live stock i'm provement Cooperative ownership di- vides the expense considerably, and the I increased value of the young stock raised also helps to overcome that objection ln addition the campaign is expected tc
 stimulate a greater production Of pure 1 bred breeding stock of good quality. 1 The question of controlling the spread I of live stock diseases when animals are | transferred from one herd to another II or are used in community circuits, ls 1 still another problem This matter, how ever. can be handled by vigilance in field l liiSpcctiOH anu Ss sS i breeders of well recognized preventive measures.
 1 There are other problems also more ol less knotty, but not presenting difficult
 ties of an insurmountable character. IT connection with the drive on scrub sire' 1 there will also be waged campaign against the "scrub pure-bred' as It Is called, in the endeavor to eliminate, as breeding animals, pure breds Of lnferoi
 quality. It will be observed that the l plan in no way interferes with any work | in live stock improvement now being con- ducted, but instead it is expected tc | make all the work more definite and ef- fective by providing breeders. including members of boys and girls clubs. Friend ! lv competition is expected to spring UT among communities and entire states ] each of which will seek to excell in the
 rate of live stock progress.