Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-08-15
u. S. Agricultural Department Plans
Nation Wide Drive to Improve Live Stock

Looking forward to the future
needs of this country's increasing
population, the United States de-
partment of agriculture, in cooper
alton with the state agricultural
colleges and other agencies inter-
| ested in live stock improvement,
s stnn9! nrd. national I'll nal better live
motion October 1 under the slogan
of. Better Sires-Better Stock
| The plan is to hasten the re-
placement of the multitude of scrub
domestic animals in the United
States with pure-bred or high-grade
stock and also t. improve the quail
| ity of purebreds themselves. 1t has
been evolved through long and care
| full observation of the live stock
industry in this country and after
| extensive consultation with Spec
| ialfsts and breeders. y
t. 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 average farm herd and flock
| is still low. For instance, the aver
age dairy COW in the United States
yields about 1000 pounds of milk
a year, a figure scarcely two thirds
the average production in some Eu-
ropean countries, such as Denmark.
The United States has thousands
of cows which have milk yields of
more than $4,000 pounds-double
the Danish average-but on the
other hand it has hundreds of thou
sands which are kept for milk and
yet yield only small fraction as
much product as the best cows,
though receiving. nearly as much
feed and care.
The difference in milk yield is
due in large measure to DIFFER
ence in breeding, hut herd of low
~ but the use of a pure-bred sire
from a family of high producers;
More Sir1oin on Well-Brcd Cattle
Among all classes of live stock
a similar condition exists. Proper
breeding of beef animals results IN
better and more uniform stock, haV-
ing a greater percentage OF deSlr-
able cuts of meat and a smaller
quantity Of bone, offal, and inedl-
Bile parts. Likewise in swine; sheep,
goats, and poultry production, the
kind of parent stock largely deter
Improvement now to- be underta!Ren
is the outgrowth. of Investigations
in genetics, of live stock. obserVa-
lions in many countries, and"a close
study of public opinion In most
live stock regions of the world a
Gradual evolution. toward better
i've stock has been taking place ZOE
centuries. The rapidity OF these
changes has an important bearing
IN world commerce and on the pros
nerity of the nations IN Wnlcn LII
provement has been greatest. -
individual and community el
FORTS in many cases have resulted
| in marked live stock progress ~
small areas The Island OF > etsey
and Guernsey are familiar examples
nf l.,
Int no large country so far mas
endeayored in an organized way 70
| improve all it's live stocH slIlulA0
oeo T.i1s stock Men Equal to Task
Otficials of the bureau OF ANNA
industry and others who have consul :
cred the problem from every anele
are convinced that 1T is posslpIe "
hasten the natural course OF ny {
stock evolution with beneilt 10 Inc
nation. They are conhdent also otr
| the live stock men, OF the c0uAi'lS
| are eager to undertake the task.
The means OF accomplishing moSt
of the nt-whlch S~iects
about 100000 head OF i've stoth'
besides poultry-will be through wld-
pure-bred sires and dams.
| Once the use of pure-bred Slres pc
comes general throughout the coun,
try, the process of grading up WI
| be raDlQ. Many eApSl lllClAIS oA.N - :
practical experience, when good slres
| are used, show that within three
generations most of the individuals
al a scrub nerd headed by pure
| bred male resemble pure-bred AMI
mails in appearance. In few more
! generations, under skillful breeding,
| the former scrub stock is graded up
| to such an extent that for produG-
| ton OF meat aud other animal prod
uctS, they are practically as usefut
as pure-breGs. The chief difference
I between high grade" animal and
| a pure bred is in the value for breed
| ing. Only the latter can be used in
producing pure-bred breeding stock,
| Moreover only pure-breds are eligible
cfhcial Emblem to Be Furnished
| The department of agriculture
| through it's. cooperative state agen-
cies is preparing to supply live stock
tells in popular language the best
| vantages to be derived from their
use. In addition the department OF
| agriculture is to furnish an official
emblem, suitable for display to nv-
| cry farmer agreeing to use only pure
| bred siros and in other ways to CO.
| operate 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
kird of live sock he possesses and
| also to declare that all his male
breeding animals are pure-brcdS.
From tn : number and nature Of the
blanks received the department will
be able to measure the progress Of