200 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



real merit and I think we will do a good business. But if we balloon up 

 with soniothinir that has no foundnfinii. tlie market is apt to oonie down. 

 We ulteii turn down a good homi'-lircd animal and take an imported one 

 that has less merit. 



Capt. Welsh: We all know how liard it is lo breed a thoroughly good 

 animal, and of course we all want tlie Ix'st. A man will come to you 

 looking for stock and yon will offer liini a heifer foi", say $250. You 

 have animals tliere tliat you would jjrolialtly sell for ,$100. lie Avants 

 to l)uy sonu'tliing clicaper. and yon offer liim tlie .$1(M» animal. Tlien you 

 sell it to liim for ."floo. W"\U llic money yon receive for tliat animal do you 

 as much good as tli(> poor lieifer will do yon liarm? 



Mr. Donley: From a business standpoint, perliaps not. 



Capt. Welsh: You know that wlien yon ship that animal away the 

 man who Uouglit it will show it to all liis neighbors, and if they are good 

 judges of cattle they will say "If that is a tliorougldjred, we don't want 

 any of that kind." I don't tldnk that would lie a pi-otitalde sale. 



Mr. Donley: Perhajts that is the only way tliat man has of bettering 

 his grades. 



Capt. Welsh: Wiien yon are talking to a young fellow who says to 

 yon, "I want to buy something good, and I shall depend upon your .iudg- 

 ment;" what are yoii going to do m that case? 



Mr. Donley: He usually has his own judgment al>out such things, 

 and even if he does not make a good bargain the first time, he will know 

 better next time and often makes a first-class judge of cattle later on. 



Mr. Heagey: I can not quite agree witli tlie Captain. His remarks 

 would lead us to believe that a man should start at the top with expen- 

 sive stock. We have had some experience with people of that kind in 

 our country. We have one man in particular there who started in the 

 Hereford business three years ago. Last wi'ck lie made an assignment. 

 He started at tlie top. If lie had started more modestly he might have 

 been at the top now instead of where he is. I have known quite a num- 

 ber of men Mho started in cattle laising in that way and they all ended 

 as he has. If a man will start at the liottom, Iniy a few not too high- 

 priced cattle, he will pro))al)ly improve them and st:iy in the liusiness. I 

 don't think it is good policy to start at the top in any line. I have been 

 in the Shorthorn business a. long time and I haven't got to the top yet. 

 I make a little money out of it, more than I do out of other cattle, but 

 if I had mortgaged my farm at the beginning to hny high-priced cattle, I 

 should probably be where my friend in tlie Hereford business is. 



Capt. Welsh: I didn't mean that I thought it best for the beginner to 



