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enough for a few individuals, who are abundantly able, and have a taste 

 that way, and may be the means of doing some good ; but as a general 

 thing, our farmers are too poor to pay much for fancy. They are after 

 the dimes and dollars ; they need them at the present time ; and if I can 

 say anything to assist them in this laudable pursuit, I shall consider my- 

 self abundantly rewarded. I do not think that the prairie, or any other 

 section of our State, at this time, is in a situation, to make cattle raising 

 to any great extent, profitable ; or at any rate, to make it a leading branch 

 of business. But, though I would not advise our farmers to make cattle 

 raising their principal business, I would advise them by all means, to 

 raise a few to dispose of every year ; and as it is as cheap to raise a good 

 animal as a poor one, they should be good, as a matter of policy. The 

 first requisite in cattle-growing is to procure a good stock to breed from. 

 Unless this is attended to, the care and attention necessary to produce a 

 good animal, is partially thrown away upon an inferior one. 



In selecting cattle to breed from, certain qualities should be souglat 

 after, and in whatever animal these are found in the greatest number, 

 whether it has been imported from the north or south of England, or 

 was brought from New York, or Illinois, that animal should be taken as 

 a breeder. I should prefer, however, to take those that had been the 

 longest time in this State, or native cattle (so called), if I could find 

 those possessing the requisite good points; for in doing so, I should thus 

 get those that had been acclimated, which is a consideration worthy of" 

 the attention of the farmer. At many of the cattle shows in the Eastern 

 States, the first premium has been awarded to native cattle, even where 

 the Durham and Devonshire stock were on exhibition. 



The first quality to be sought for in a breeder is size or weight, as the 

 ultimate destiny of all the cattle race is the shambles ; and as then, how- 

 ever valuable they may have been in other respects, their weight must 

 be the criterion of value, it is important that they should be of good 

 size. They should be long-bodied, straight sided, with heavy quarters ; 

 a straight, plump ham, running down full to the gambrel joint; a good 

 loin and heavy straight back; a straight, clean, bony leg, not too long; 

 a small neck ; small slim horns ; a small clean head ; a prominent eye ; 

 and a slim tail, running out small from the body like a thrifty hickory- 

 sprout, and of one color. The last requisite, however, is somewhat a 

 matter of taste, and in any other respect not essential. They should 

 possess a quiet, good disposition ; this is rather an essential quality, whe- 



