LIVE STOCK BREEDERS. 179 



I'here can be no universal cow, neither can there be a universal horse, 

 nor even a universal man. What we wish to mean by universal is the 

 highest type of excellence in many lines. They are not combined in one 

 animal ; good qualities can be combined but not the highest point in all. 

 To explain further, a horse can not be the best draft horse, the best at 

 speed, and the best saddler combined. 



There can be an all round man, an all purpose horse, a dual purpose 

 cow. As illustrating this you can call to mind individuals who are very 

 apt in one line and very weak in others. Also those that are very suc- 

 cessful in all lines or as you may express it can turn a hand to anything. 



The typical draft horse of today bred to the enormous weight of a 

 ton is a special purpose animal — he can draw immense loads, but with 

 this one purpose his usefulness ends. He has his place but it is not on 

 the small farm where one team must haul the wood, draw the plow, take 

 the family to church, tend the garden, and be the saddler. He can be fair 

 at all even if not remarkably superior in any particular line. The breed 

 v.-ar is over. No reasonable champion of one breed is spending his force 

 tearing down another breed. Nobly they have combined against the 

 common enemy to mankind, the curse to live stock husbandry, the living 

 disgrace to any American farm, large or small, this common foe is the 

 scrub sire. He is the hated thing. He is the universal curse. He is 

 the fostered enemy. Against him and him only, all improved breeds are 

 Avaging a combined war. Until he is entirely exterminated- the war should 

 continue, yet we are glad to realize no improved breed is at war with an- 

 other improved breed. \"\''e have the special purpose breeds and it is 

 well. We need them. 



There are conditions in which the highest possible attainment in one 

 particular line serves best the purpose. 



The heavy dray wagons in our large cities require little else than the 

 ability to draw immense loads. There may be conditions in which the 

 greatest possible supply of butter only is required. It must also be admitted 

 that there are conditions, as on the western plains, where immense herds 

 of cattle are kept for beef only, that the highest possible attainment at the 

 "beef making tendency is the prime and almost only requirement. But 

 this is not the condition that confronts the common farmer or as we 

 would have it the average farmer. It is not the condition of a large ma- 

 jority of farms today. The requirements of the ranchman and those of 

 the small farmer are greatly in contrast. The ideal ranch cow is as much 

 beef as possible with barely enough milk to produce reasonable growth in 

 the calf. She requires a robust nature, firm bone and frame, good size 

 and an iron constitution. To these qualities the modern small farm would 

 add as much of the dairy qualities as can be combined till we have the 



