358 STATE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



purity ol' the improving blood, the prepotency of the individual sires, 

 and the plasticity of the common females. Instances are on record where 

 ideal high grades have resulted from the third cross; in general, one 

 would be safe in counting on at least the fifth. We must not, however, 

 lose sight of the fact that while a high grade may eventually equal the 

 improving breed from a standpoint of meat or milk making, that it can 

 never be possessed of a pedigi'ee, nor equal the full bloods from a stand- 

 point of prepotency in breeding; this is the principal argument used 

 against grade sires. 



We also suggest that at the time of the purchase- of the pure bred 

 sire, one cow, or possibly two of the same breed be secured. The 

 progeny of these two or three registered animals should grow into a 

 nice little herd at the end of ten years, which could be used to replace 

 the poorer of the high grades. That the high grade can be success- 

 fully produced as described, cannot be disputed, and its values have 

 already been clearly demonstrated. The high grade forms the bulk of 

 the western feeders coming to our feed lots; it makes up almost the 

 sum total of the 400,000 prime steers which annually cross the Atlantic; 

 it has occupied no mean place in the list of awards in fat classes at 

 state, national and international live stock shows. 



We desire at this point to emphasize the fact that the use of im- 

 proved methods of breeding alone will not avail; it is absolutely neces- 

 sary for these to be supplemented by liberal feeding and proper care and 

 management. 



METHODS OP ORGANIZATION. 



Following the discussion heretofore presented and the generally con- 

 ceded need of live stock improvement, it seems highly desirable that some 

 practicable plan should be adopted to stimulate the general use and per- 

 petuation of improved methods. 



Attention has been directed to the fact that the continued admixture 

 of the blood of different breeds has resulted disastrously. At the present 

 time, in most instances, there are too many breeds in a given locality, 

 thus facilitating admixture. It is true that individual likes and dis- 

 likes vary gi'eatly, but it nevertheless seems to be the case, that if one 

 man introduces a certain breed, his nearest neighbor will at once intro- 

 duce another, apparently for no other purpose than to have something 

 different, whereas, if they were both using the same breed it would work 

 to their mutual advantage. Marked advantages accompany unity of 

 purpose and methods and community interests in breeding. The greatest 

 success that has been achieved in the history of animal breeding has» re- 

 sulted where there were harmonious community interests and but one 

 principal line of breeding. To illustrate. Jerseys only have been bred on 

 the Isle of Jersey, Guernseys in Guernsey, Holsteins in Holland and all 

 the leading breeds of cattle and sheep originating in Great Britain were 

 each developed largely within one or more counties or shires, to the 

 almost total exclusion of other breeds of the same species. Livingston 

 county, Michigan, is known the country over for its Holstein cattle, the 

 result of organization, co-operation and unity of purpose among its 

 breeders. 



One cannot conceive of any logical reasons why several men in a com- 



