Year: 1873

The idea is prevalent among q GER
tain class of farmers that it will not
pay to purchase thoroughbred stock,
for the reason that the value of such
stock being far above that of common
animals, there is no adequate profit in
the investment. There are two serious
mistakes made in taking this view


The one is that the cost of thorough
bred stock is excessive, and that an I'M
mense profit is made by the breeders
selling animals at exorbitant prices; the
other is that it does not pay to improve
common stock by crossing pure-bred
stock upon them, and that unless there
is large capital available, with fine
stables and costly attendance, the con-
dition of these animals so deteriorates
that they no longer possess any superb
ority over any other stock Now, while
wear by year the value of the choicest
specimens of the favorite breeds, either
of horses, cattle, sheep, or swine, grad
uallv increases, on the other hand, fair
average animals, in which the blood OF
the choicest is intermingled, are grad
ually decreasing in price. The great
demand for the best of everything now
existing, and the competition of large
lv-increased number of breeders deslr-
ing to purchase the best, tend to cause
their increasing price, but the very
same increased number of breeders who
have stock to dispose of tends to operate
in the contrary direction with the
average class of stock 1t is now pos
sible to purchase full-blood stock of
good strains for very reasonable prices
not more than twice or thrice those
asked for good native stock. We con-
stantly see reports of sales of bulls
and COWS of Jersey, Ayrshire, Devon,
or short-horned breeds at from 500 up
to $500. These prices are certainly
within the means of vast majority OF
farmers. If not, now is the time, when
cooperation and combination is the
fashion, to make this business one of
those to be brought under the influence
of Joint effort. AS to the second mis-
take made it is only necessary to point
out the money value of the product OF
thoroughbred stock to show that the
investment is profitable one. In addl-
ton it might be shown that the profit
is not confined to the thoroughbred
alone, but that the first cross partakes
so much of the better qualities OF its
high-bred parent that the advantage is
immense, even at so early period OF
improvement. Dairy stock of half
blood Jersey or Ayrshire will produce
double the amount that an average
native dairy will, or can. In dairy
of twenty-five cows, one pure-bred bull,
at a cost of $500, will produce twenty
five heifer calves every two years. The
value of these calves is doubled from
the moment of their birth on account
of their parentage. When weaned the
owner would rarely accept $50 each
for them. The $500 then returns twen-
ty-fve per cent each year in this way
alone. But if these calves are raised
until they come into profit, their pro-
duct as cows will doubtless be double
that of their dams on the whole. Then,
twenty-five cows each year producing
a clear profit of $50 each, instead OF
S25, as heretofore, Ga low estimate,) a
difference of 1925 yearly is shown to
the credit of the investment. In beef
stock a larger margin than this even
can be shown, for not only is greater
amount of flesh produced for the same
quantity of feed consumed, but the
market price of grade steer is higher
for the whole weight of the animal than
that of native. Generally the benefit
accruing is equal to a return of the
value of pure-bred bull in the third
year, and every year afterward, on the
beef sold, in addition to the increased
value of the heifers as breeding stock.
The same is true of sheep, hogs, and
poultry, and were our young stock thus
improved each year to come, as far as
might be possible, undoubtedly the
census of 1880 would show the value
of our live stock to be double at least
that of the stock enumerated in the
previous one of 1870.