THE BREEDING AND CARE OF SHORTHORNS. 337 



Shorthorns," is one which materially affects the growth, development, and 

 perfection of this noble race of cattle. It has been said that 'Hhe breed was 

 in the pail," and while this is not literally true, still feeding and care have 

 much to do with the development and growth of most domestic animals. One of 

 the objects of the early breeders of Shorthorns was to produce an animal 

 which should make the best and most perfect specimen when brought to the 

 butcher's block. Witness the breeding, feeding, and traveling of the white 

 heifer of the Collings; also the white ox, both fitted for traveling to advertise 

 the beef qualities of the Shorthorns of that day. Prom our earliest history of 

 the breeding of this class of cattle one of the main objects has been to make 

 this ]}ar excellence, a beef animal. It is also true that early maturity, a capa- 

 bility of assimilating food, with reference to fat, has been among the improve- 

 ments sought. By feed and a judicious selection of stock to breed from, Bake- 

 well produced from the common sheep of the country a breed of sheep unsur- 

 passed for fattening qualities and early maturity. And more recently the 

 improvements made in hog raising are due in a large degree to the liberal and 

 scientific manner of feeding. Of course selection was the companion in 

 improvement. And it is equally true that these improved breeds of stock 

 deteriorate in quality and quantity when placed in the hands of careless breed- 

 ers and poor feeders. By good feeding we do not mean a wasteful and extravagant 

 manner of feeding, but that system calculated to make the greatest profit to 

 the owner, as well as the proper growth of the animal. If what has been said 

 be true, and no well informed man will deny it, then one of the first things to 

 be considered is the proper amount and kinds of food to be used. In this 

 State, where our winters are usually long and severe, a long time ensues in 

 which our stock has to be fed. My own opinion is that various kinds of coarse 

 fodder should be used, feeding first one and then another, corn stalks, marsh 

 hay, straw or tame hay if plenty, with grain enough to keep the animal in a 

 good growthy condition and moderately fat. The kind of grain used should 

 depend on the age of the animal. For calves I have found corn and oats 

 ground together in equal parts and mixed with an equal amount of wheat bran 

 by bulk to be feed upon which the young things would thrive well, the oats 

 and bran making muscle and bone, and the corn adding more particularly 

 flesh. The amount fed to depend on the condition of the animal. For older 

 animals the mixture is also good, with more meal and less bran. For fatten- 

 ing purposes the bran acts as a helper in digesting the meal, and cattle which 

 are suckling calves need no better feed. This is not particularly a root 

 country, and I think that perhaps ensilage may in a degree help supply the 

 lack if any for the loss of the roots. It is poor policy to let an animal get 

 thin in winter for want of grain. When spring comes and cattle are turned 

 to pasture they should be in good condition. They grow faster, thrive better, 

 and breed better, and are better. When you wish to sell them they bring 

 more money, sell more freely, and create a better impression of your herd to 

 any visitor who may see them, besides affording a satisfaction to their owners. 

 It is also true economy. If you have an animal that a moderate amount 

 of grain in winter and a good pasture in summer will not keep in a good con- 

 dition, unless it be some cow giving a large amount of milk, sell it. Better 

 keep two animals well than three poorly. 



My own experience and my observation havetaught me that many farm- 

 ers keep too much stock for their farms. When I began to raise cattle I 

 thought I could keep two or three head of cattle upon an acre of pasture, and 

 so I could for a month or two while the pastures were in their most growthy 



