CHANGES IN FARMING. 349 



This improvement is within the reach of every farmer. It needs 

 only care and skill in breeding, and care and skill in treatment. 

 There are men who have made the science and practice of breed- 

 ing a life-long study, and this for generation after generation, 

 until the desired qualities are fixed in certain breeds of catile and 

 sure to be inherited ; and animals possessing these fixed qualities 

 can be had at a price very moderate compared with their value. 



To those who take pride in keeping as many cattle as they can 

 and not have their ribs become too prominent, another illustration 

 may be offered. We will suppose such a man, living near the 

 line of some railroad, should offer advice to the Superintendent or 

 Master of Transportation after this fashion : " Sir, I notice that 

 you run only one freight train daily over your road. It seems to 

 me that is rather small doing, considering what a nice road it is,' 

 and how much it cost. Why not run three or four and do a larger 

 business?" If any reply at all is deigned to such a suggestion, 

 would it not likely be something in this style? "I am not so 

 anxious to do what you call a large business as I am to make 

 what I do -profitable, so as to have some net gains to divide among 

 the stockholders. There is only so much freight to carry, and what 

 good would come of running trains half loaded or quarter loaded ? 

 Running expenses are heavy enough when we carry full loads. 

 It costs fuel and wages of engineer and fireman and conductor and 

 attendants and oil and wear and tear of rolling stock and of 

 rails. When I send out an engine and tender and train of twenty 

 cars loaded full, the rolling stojk weighs so much that we have to 

 carry two tons for every one ton' which earns freight money ; and 

 sometimes we have to furnish power to bring them back empty, 

 so as to carry again. We are not ambitious to make a show of 

 business ; our lookout is for net earnings. But in return for your 

 good intentions in advising me, I will tell you what some of us 

 outsiders think of the practice of some farmers, and give you a hit 

 of advice. You spend a great deal of time and labor and manure 

 to make hay, and when you get a large crop you think yourselves 

 very fortunate. And that hay you use up, for the most part, in 

 running your cattle through the winter, and if they come out in 

 spring no worse than they went to the barn you think it is 'some- 

 thing to brag on. It seems a good deal like our running empty 

 cars to where freight is ready to be carried. It is something which 

 has to be done for the sake of earning profits by and by. But I 

 have noticed that when spring and summer come, which is the time 



