Imperial Valley press., 1919-08-22
Department of Agriculture
Announces Campaign in
Cooperation with State
Agencies and Breeders.
I OPENING DATE
SET FOR OCTOBER
Because Scrub Animals Sub
stitute Losses for Profits
Farmers are Asked to
Grade Up Their Herds.

In line with suggestions made by
The Press, in recent issues to the
dairymen of Imperial valley, the Unit
ed States Department of Agriculture
in COOP Ieration with the State agri
cultural colleges and other agencies
in live stock Improvement, announces
4 national better livestock crusade, to
get actively in motion October l under
the slogan Of Better Sires-Better
Stock"
The plan is to hasten the replace
/ ment of the multitude of scrub domes
tic animals in the United States with
pgre-bred or high-grade stock and
also to improve the quality Of pure
breds themselves. 1t has been evolved
/ through long and careful observation
of the livestock industry in this
country and after extensive consulta-
tion with specialists and breeders.
| Nations Milk Average Low
For many years this country has
contained thousands of the finest
specimens of live stock in the world
but in spite of that fact the quality
and productive capacity of the av-
erage farm herd and flock is still low
For instance, the average dairy COW in
the United States yields about 1000
rounds of milk year. figure
scarcely tWo-thirda The average pro-
duction in some European countries,
such as Denmark. The United States
has thousands of cows which have
milk yields of more than 10000 pounds
double the Danish average-but on
the other hand it has hundreds Of
thousands which are kept for milk
and vet yield only small fraction as
much product as the best cows, tho
receiving nearly as much feed and
care.
The difference in milk yield is due in
large measure to difference in
breeding, but herd of low produc-
ticn can be improved rapidly by the
use of pure-bred sire from family
Of high producers.
More Sirloin On Well Bred Cattle
! Among all classes Of live stock a
similar condition exists. Proper breed
! ing cf beef animals results in better
and more uniform stock, having a
greater percentage of desirable cuts
! n 6
bone, offal, and inedible parts. Like
wise in swine, sheep, goats and in
I poultry production, the kind of pa
rent stock largely determines the
quality and market value of the pro
ducts. The crusade of improvement
now to be undertaken is the out
growth of Investigations in genetics,
/ of livestock observations in many
countries, and close study of public
opinion In most livestock regions Of
the world gradual evolution toward
better livestock has been taking
place for centuries The rapiditv Of
these changes has an important bear
ing on world commerce and on the
prosperity of the nations in which
improvement has been greatest.
Individual and community efforts
in many cases have resulted in mark
/ ed livestock progress in small areas.
The islands Of Jersey and Guernsey
are familiar examples of this kind
Of accomplishment, but no large coun-
try so far has endeavored to organize
way to improve all its live stock sim
ultaneonsly.
Live Stock Men Equal to Task
/ Officials of the Bureau of Animal
Industry and others who have consid-
cred the problem from every angle
are convinced that it is possible to
hasten the natural course of livestock
evolution with benefit to the Nation.
They are confident also that the live
stock men of the country are eager
to undertake the task.
The means of accomplishing most Of
the improvement--which affects about
200,000,0 600 head Of live stock, besides
4.