Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-18
" Breeding-Up" System
Clues. Great Results on
Missouri Stock Farm

by those trained in cattle raising that
Improvement in type was the most
marked characteristic between the
nondescript calves born to the COM
mon cows when bred to such bulls
as the majority of farmers use. and
the first cross calves, offspring of the
common cows and pure-bred sires.
The first cross calves were more par
ticularly Of beef type, being block
Ter, with greater width over the
shoulders, wider and straighter
backs. and standing closer to the
ground. They showed up to much
better advantage than their mothers,
the common cows.
The Difference Is Marked
The difference between the first
and second crosses was noticed in
the greater fieshing qualities of the
second cross animals and their ear
lier maturity--in a word, ability to
produce more beef with less feed: In
the 2-year-old fat steer pen, contain
ing first and second cross steers
averaging 1850 pounds, this was par
example, contained a roam steer of
the second cross, blocky, thick set
animal, carrying solid meat to al
most every inch Of it's capacity, with
a wide. smooth back ripping under
the mellow hide, quarters deep and
luIl, SHOIL 1SSSy SqudIe nedu anu
wide chest giving an added appear
ance of massiveneSs.
By the side of this steer stood a
red one of the first cross, slightly
rougher, the back not so straight nor
so wide and the body farther from
the ground While fully as big as
the roam as to frame, careful COM
parison showed the first cross steer
contained less flesh, principally lack
ing in meat where the high-priced
cuts are taken off. The value to the
raiser, it was computed, was 81 the
hundred pounds greater for the roam.
Yet the red it was pointed out, al
though not SO efficient beef MAX
ing machine, probably would be pick
ed at SO a hundred pounds more by
the buyer over a steer sired by a
scrub or grade bull.
Under Average Conditions
None of these cattle, it was ex-
planned, had any better care or feed
than the average farmer can success
fully give. The COWS have never test
ed grain and the calves are grazed
and "roughed through" until ready
to be fattened. 1t was brought home
to the crowd how pure bred s1res,
although costing more at first than
scrubs and grades, pay in the grading
up of a herd. To amplify visual
testimony the visitors were given
booklets describing the history of the
demonstration, which contained the
marketing results of all steers sold
from Sni-a-Bar farms since the start
of the demonstration in 1913. Those
figures showed that while two lots
of steers which were fed out OF the
calves which came with the common
COWS in 1913, sired by bulls the farm
ers who owned the COWS before they
were shipped in for slaughter use
sold for from 60 cents to $2.25 hun
dred pounds less than the best sales
on the market that day, one or the
three shipments of first cross steers
sold for more than any other farm
er's that day, several OF the Snl-a-
Bar farms lots breaking yard records
fer selling price.
Many Heard Addresses
Part of the program of the demon
stration included several addresses IN
a large pavilion to the south of the
cattle pens. In this pavilion, crowd
ed to capacity, Irwin KirkWood, agent
for the trustees of the w. r. Nelson
estate, described the plan Mr.. Nelson
had in mind when he purchased Sni-
a-Bar farms and dedicated them to
the material and social benefit OF
the public" Dean C. F. Curt1ss, OF
Iowa State college, discussed prob
lens affecting agriculture, and +.
w. Harding, general executive of the
American Shorthorn Breeders asso-
citation, talked of the value of pure
bred sireS.
At noon four thousand persons
were the guests of Sni-a-Bar farms
at a luncheon served cafeteria style
and eaten in the speakers tent or
on the blue grass outside. In the
afternoon the groups visited the pens
containing the demonstration cattle.