The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1919-08-30
prepared by the United States Depart
mont u A grlcultural

prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agricultural
Looking forward to future food needs
Of the country's Increased popula-
ton, the United States department OF
agriculture, in cooperation with the
state agricultural colleges and other
agencies interested in live stock i'm
provement, announces Il national bet
ter live stock crusade, to get actively
in motion October 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
purebred or high-grade stock and also
to improve the quality of purebreds
themselves. 1t has been evolved
through long and careful observation
of the live stock industry in this coun-
try and after extensive consultation
with specialists and breeders.
Nations Milk Average Low.
For many years this country has
contained thousands OF the finest spe.
in spite of that fact the quality and
productive capacity of the average
farm herd and flock Is still low. For
instance, the average dairy COW in
the United States yields about 4,0N
pounds Of milk year. figure scarce
ly two-thirds the average production
In some European 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 re-
ceiving nearly as much feed and care
The difference in milk yield Is due
In large measure to difference ir
breeding, but a herd of low production
can be improved rapidly by the use OF
a purebred sire from family of high
producers.
More Sirloin on WeIl-Bred Cattle.
Among all classes Of live stock 9
similar condition exists Proper breed
ing of beef animals results in better
and more uniform stock, having g
greater percentage of desirable cuts OF
offal. and inedible parts. Likewise il
swine, sheep, goats and poultry pro
duction, the kind of parent stock large
ly determines the quality and market
value Of the products The crusade OF
Improvement now to be undertaken is
the outgrowth of investigations In
genetics, of live stock observations il
many countries, and a close study OF
public opinion. In most live stock re
gions of the world a gradual evolu
ton toward better live stock has beer
taking place place for centuries. The
rapidity of these changes has an i'm
portant bearing on world commerce
and on the prosperity of the nations
in which Improvement has been great
est.
Individual and community efforts II
many cases have resulted in marked
live stock progress in small areas. The
islands of Jersey and Guernsey are
familiar examples of this kind Of &C
complishment, but no large country sc
far has endeavored in an organized
way to improve all its live stock 81
simultaneously.
Live Stock Men Equal to Task.
officials of the bureau of animal in
dustry and others who have consid
cred the problem from every angle are
convinced that it is possible to haster
the natural course of live stock evolu
ton with benefit to the nation. The!
are confident also that the live stocl
men Of the country are eager to under
take the task.
The means of accomplishing mos
of the Improvement, which affects
about 2OO,OOO,O0O head of live stock
besides poultry, will be through widel
distribution and increased use of pure
bred sires and dams.
Once the use of purebred sires be
comes general throughout the coun
try. the process Of grading mp will b'
rapid. Many experiments and alst
practical experience, when good sire'
are used, show that within three gen
erations most of the individuals in
scrub herd headed by purebred male
resemble purebred animals in appear
ance. In a few more generations, un
der skiIlful breeding, the former scrul
stock is graded up to such an extern
that for production of meat and othel
animal products, they are practlcall!
as useful as purebreds. The chief diff
ference between a ''high-grade" ami
nal and purebred is in the value
for breeding. Only the latter can o.
used in producing purebred breeding
stock. Moreover only purebreds ar
eligible to registry.
Official Emblem to Be Furnished.
The department of agriculture
through its cooperative state agencies
Is preparing to supply live stock rais
ers with printed information that tell
in popular language the best ANNA