TWELFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV 139 



for show purposes has become a specialty, and the men who have been 

 successful in winning prizes in these classes are men who specialize 

 in this particular work. 



And now as to the selection of a carload lot of steers: We can not 

 intelligently or understandingly consider this subject without first con- 

 sidering the type and conformation necessary for a good beef steer, 

 and then group such animals in suflBcient numbers to have a carload lot, 

 fifteen head being the required number. The general appearance of a 

 beef steer, if of correct type, should show a distinctly meat-producing 

 form. By this I mean he should be compact and uniformly broad of 

 back from crop to hooks. He should have sufficient depth of body, deep 

 in his quarters, and especially should the steer have a broad, deep, full 

 bosom, denoting strong lung power. Viewed from one side, his top and 

 bottom lines should run parallel. Bear in mind that unless you have 

 strong, level lines, you can never hope to have a ribbon winner. The 

 steer should have a short, neat neck, with clean cut throttle. Last, but 

 not least, the steer should have a good head. 



By a good head, I mean one that has strong muzzle, with nostrils 

 somewhat prominent and large, which shows ample breathing capacity 

 to supply a pair of strong lungs. A short muzzle is preferred; never 

 select a steer that is great in length from his eyes to the tip of his nose. 

 Forehead should be wide, large ears, slightly rising upward, and covered 

 well with hair. A blemished ear detracts materially from the general 

 appearance of your show steer. With all these requisites, remember 

 that a mild, quite eye invariably means an easy feeder, while a nervous, 

 restless eye usually means an unsatisfactory steer and one irritable to 

 handle. Similarity of steers thus described will bring about the desired 

 uniformity of your carload lot, which is most essential nowadays if you 

 are in the winning. But to be successful in the production of high-class 

 show steers, I have found it very important to have the right kind of 

 breeding, and then follow up with the right kind of. feeding, and not 

 upon one alone, but upon both, will depend your success. 



Good breeding along beef lines of ancestry is not essential for the 

 production of a high-class carcass of beef, as many a scrub bred steer 

 develops into a good carcass, but good breeding is most essential to 

 secure that high standard of perfect beef conformation which is neces- 

 sary to have in a load of finished steers if you hope to win. Thus, it re- 

 quires breed type to hold uniformly in the finished steer, and this uni- 

 formity of breed type is a strong expression of high quality. 



Now, I think you will agree with me that good blood tells, but bear 

 in mind that a part of the breed must of necessity go in at the mouth, 

 or, in other words, the corn-crib cross is necessary. You may buy ani- 

 mals of the bluest strains of blood and the most perfect conformation 

 obtainable, and yet, if you fail to feed them properly you can not hope 

 to win. And now the question arises, how to feed a carload of steers. 

 You are aware that doctors differ, and judges disagree; and, likewise, 

 fitters of show cattle differ very widely in their methods of feeding and 

 the procedure of fitting and trimming. I prefer having the steer from 

 calfhood up, so I may acquaint myself with his individual needs and his 



