172 STATE BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



equal those of the pure male. And so in actual practice, except in rare 

 instances, grade sires fail to produce offspring possessed of the marked 

 uniformity and quality of those from the pure bred male. We call 

 attention just here to the fact that the quality of prepotency more 

 markedly manifest in the breeds of most ancient origin has been de- 

 veloped through centuries; we must not expect to develop it in high 

 grades in one decade. It would be useless to say that no grade sires 

 should be used at all, for if 27,800 bulls are needed in Michigan, as 

 indicated by the last state census, only a portion of this number could 

 possibly be made up of pure breds, as they are not to be had. There- 

 fore, the only rational thing to advocate is the utilization of all pure 

 bred bulls to their fullest extent, the use of the fewest possible high 

 grade sires for the present, the use of the best of this class and the re- 

 placement of these by pedigreed animals as rapidly as possible. Occa- 

 sionally, in purchasing, a man hesitates between two sires, the one a 

 grade, the other a pure bred ; the former perhaps about as good as the 

 latter in individuality, judging from appearances. On this basis, the 

 purchaser secures the grade because it is at least one-half cheaper, but 

 in considering the final results we should not lose sight of' the fact 

 that the superiority of a crop of ten calves from a pure bred sire is 

 almost sure to be so much greater than the same number from a high 

 grade, that the difference in the purchase price of the two sires may 

 be more than made up in a single season. 



DISCARDING THE SO-CALLED AGED BULL. 



In general, it can scarcely be said of a bull, that he has reached full 

 maturity until four years of age, though this perfect stage of develop- 

 ment is commonly regarded as being attained at a somewhat earlier 

 age among some breeds. It has been a common practice, for years, 

 among farmers, to send the three or four years old bulls to the block, 

 largely because there is no sale for them as breeders. The general rule 

 among prospective purchasers is to search for nothing but young bulls, 

 yearlings or less, with the idea that they will grow into money for them, 

 if they can dispose of them before maturity. It is a false economy 

 to purchase on this basis solely and take more or less chance on a 

 young, untried animal when the actual results from a mature animal 

 may be ascertained. There are two principal reasons why sires are 

 usually sent to the block at three or four years of age. First, it is 

 claimed that their dispositions do not mellow with age, and second, 

 they become too large, heavy and clumsy, and it may tend to impo- 

 tency. In answer to the first of these objections, we believe that except 

 for the inheritance of mean, treacherous dispositions, bulls, in general, 

 return on the points of their horns only that which is dealt out to them 

 on the points of the fork, or in other words, the bull responds to the 

 character of the treatment and management given him. Mature bulls 

 should not have a tendency towards impotency if properh' fed, managed 

 and exercised, but because of the fact that the bull is isolated, he is fre- 

 quently neglected to a greater extent than any other animal on the 

 farm. Too many bulls are fed irregularly and improperly, and confined 

 constantly for long periods in small dark filthy box stalls; these condi- 

 tions are not conducive to good breeding qualities. 



