192 MISSOURI AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



is always that something in the distance, that hope and desire to ac- 

 compHsh something just a Httle better, to stimulate and encourage us 

 to reach just a little higher degree of perfection in the production of 

 animal life. No man has yet produced a perfect animal, and this very 

 fact will, of itself, stimulate and encourage the ambitious breeder. 



Having thus outlined my views concerning the objective point in a 

 breeder's career, I desire to go further and state that I am a firm be- 

 liever in the selection of specialties as the surest and safest road to suc- 

 cess. The breeder who can and will formulate in his mind the perfect 

 animal, whether it be a draft horse, light harness horse, beef animal 

 or dairy animal, and exert every effort and lend all his energy to the 

 production of this one class, will come very much nearer materializing 

 his ideal than the man who scatters his shot at two bulls eyes, usually 

 shooting just between both. In other words, the animal bred for the 

 purpose of combining two qualities must of necessity take a mediocre 

 position competing with animals bred especially for either the one or 

 the other. 



"Oh, but," says one, "we breed sheep for both wool and mutton, 

 why not cattle for both beef and milk?" We do combine both dairy 

 and beef qualities as successfully as do our friends breeding sheep. 

 But has any one yet produced a Southdown carcass of mutton with a 

 Merino or Ramboulette fleece? I answer "no." As no man can serve 

 two masters, I believe it a physical impossibility to divide ones atten- 

 tion to the development of two qualities in one animal without becoming 

 top heavy one way or the other, thereby sacrificing one quality to the 

 development of the other. This being, in my judgment, human nature, 

 it brings us to the necessity of specializing in the production of the 

 highest types of animal life. 



My preference being for beef cattle, and what little experience I 

 have had having been along this line, I shall attempt to tell you how I 

 manage the cattle now in my charge — and do not wish to be understood 

 that I consider my plans anything like perfect, for by constant care 

 and watchfulness I find that they can be very much improved upon. 

 Neitiier will my plan be feasible in more northerly countries where the 

 winters are more severe, but as regards climate we are certainly ad- 

 mirably located and have it within our power to give to animals what 

 nature intended them to have, the run of good pasture and plenty of 

 pure air. I long since learned to appreciate fresh air and outdoor life 

 under natural conditions in the rearing of pure-bred cattle. 



I prefer having as large a per cent of calves as possible during the 

 fall and winter months, beginning as soon after September i as possi- 

 ble (as you are well aware a showman never has any calves dropped 



