248 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



THE IMPORTANCE OF AMERICAN TYPES AND BLOOD LINES. 



A suggestion of the highest importance was recently made, 

 that our breeders cannot hope to develop an export trade of any 

 magnitude until they advertise their animals as American, and the 

 stockman who made this suggestion pointed out that until we are 

 able honestly to claim for our own American-bred animals, that 

 because they are American-bred they are better than animals bred 

 in other countries, we cannot expect the foreign breeder to adopt 

 such a view. So long as we advertise our Shorthorns as Scotch, and 

 claim that for this reason they are the best we can produce, the 

 Shorthorn breeder in Argentina will go to Scotland for his bulls. 

 So long as our Pcrcheron breeders believe that the best they can 

 use on their mares are imported stallions, the South American 

 horseman will go to France for Percheron stallions. The standing 

 of the American Trotter the American Saddle Horse, the Ameri- 

 can Merino Sheep, the American hog, and the American hen, has 

 been made permanent in the world's opinion, because these breeds 

 have stood on their own merits without fear or favor and without 

 requiring an imported prop for support. It is highly gratifying 

 that several of our breeds of cattle have been so much improved 

 since they were first imported, that they are now actually more 

 efficient and profitable under American conditions than the same 

 breeds in the countries of origin, and it is rare that the American 

 breeder of such cattle finds an importation to his advantage. If 

 these cattle are better adapted for the production of meat, milk, and 

 butter in America than their foreign relatives, does it not hold 

 true that they would be better for the same purpose in Argentina, 

 Brazil, Uruguay, or other cattle breeding countries? If this is true, 

 why should it be difficult to prove the fact to the satisfaction of 

 Argentine, Brazilian, Uruguayan, or other foreign breeders? 



THE VALUE OF AN EXPORT TRADE DURING PERIODS OF LOW PRICES. 



Lastly, the possibility of a foreign trade in breeding animals 

 stands in direct ratio to the production of a surplus in the United 

 States. Given a surplus, the trade will seek an outlet, either by 

 way of the market, the abattoir, or by export for breeding pur- 

 poses. It would be unfortunate, indeed, if a fall in prices for 

 breeding animals would force the sale of our pure-bred cattle, sheep, 



