SIXTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VIII. 573 



To the young breeder, to the small breeder, to the beginner, i ^vould 

 say: Breed from the best stock or the best your moans will furnish, and 

 keep at it; have a purpose; breed to a line; breed a type. Keep at the 

 head of your herd a male that you can point to with pride as your chief 

 sire. Raise him if you can; buy him if you must. Introduce new blood 

 by the purchase of females. Develop your young stock by generous feed- 

 ing, kind treatment and careful attention. Grow them so well that they 

 will be objects of attraction and admiration. If the number of animals 

 on hand seems unprofitable, reduce the number and raise a better class. 

 Raise as many good ones as possible; the more good ones the better, but 

 have them good. 



THE PUBLIC SALE AND THE PURE BRED STOCK BUSINESS. 



GEO. P. BELLOWS, MARYVILLE, MO. 



(Bulletin Missouri State Board of Agriculture.) 



The close inter-relation of the public sale to the pure bred stock busi- 

 ness is coming to be very generally understood, as evidenced by the stead- 

 ily increasing number of auction sales of this class of stock annually being 

 held. The public sale system of disposing of pure bred stock has 

 grown amazingly in popular favor during the last decade. The increase 

 in the number of auction sales during this period has not been the result 

 of a mushroom growth, but has been the natural unfolding of legitimate 

 causes, the results of which have been of untold benefit to the farmer. 

 Since the farmer is engaged in the most important business or occupation 

 known to man, and since the public sale and the pure bred stock business 

 is one of the chief mediums through which the farmer and his calling 

 is to be elevated and dignified as never before, it is plain to be seen that 

 much thought should be given a subject of such immediate importance. 

 The primary thought with reference to this subject is, "The Pure Bred 

 Stock Business," the "Public Sale" being only a means to the end, and, 

 therefore, of secondary consideration in this connection. 



The farmer who has at heart the future financial, educational and 

 moral welfare of himself, his family and his children's children, can illy 

 afford to ignore the question — Whether or not he will interest himself in 

 the matter of breeding pure bred stoclc? 



Throughout the corn and tame grass belt of this country of ours the 

 best farm lands have become so valuable, — worth so much money per acre,' 

 — competition so close and margins on staple products so narrow, that the 

 farmer who breeds, feeds and markets the low grade or scrub animal, 

 be it horse, cow, hog, sheep, or any one of our better known domestic ani- 

 mals, cannot hope do so and realize above the bare cost of production; 

 Indeed, he can count himself lucky if his time has not been given to the 

 running of the machinery of the farm at a loss. 



