356 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Could these farmers see a way clear by means of which they could obtain 

 full value of their bulls, retain them for ten or twelve years, instead of two or 

 three, a large proportion would purchase bulls in the near future and begin 

 to grade up their herds in earnest. 



Any practical method, therefore, that will enable the small farmer to get 

 the full value out of his sire ought to appeal to him; in fact, it is doubtful if 

 general grading up of our cattle among the small farmers will be brought 

 about until some such method is worked out. In many localities in foreign 

 countries a few bulls are kept in a neighborhood and the farmers lead their 

 cows to these places to be bred and good results are obtained, but it is not 

 a practical method for this country; time is too precious and labor too high 

 for the farmers who own from ten to fifteen cows to lead them to a bull two 

 or three miles distant. A few years ago some of the railroads introduced 

 bulls along their lines and changed them at intervals so as to avoid inbreed- 

 ing. That was all right as far as it went, and such a plan may be fairly 

 well suited to new countries where comparatively little stock is kept, but it 

 is not practical in old communities where considerable stock is bred; here the 

 farmer must own his own bull. A discription of how to accomplish this on 

 the most economical basis is the purpose of this article. 



The method which the writer would suggest is entirely practicable and 

 has a number of good features; it is a system that depends upon co-opera- 

 tion among a number of farmers within a township or within a community 

 the size of a township. It is reasonable to suppose that ten farmers can be 

 found within the area mentioned who, barring accidents, if they could be 

 assured the service of a good registered bull for ten years by the purchase 

 of only one animal, could readily be induced to buy one. It is also reason- 

 able to suppose that ten farmers could be found within that area who could 

 all agree on the same breed. For sake of illustration, suppose ten farmers 

 agreed that they preferred to breed their cows to Shorthorn bulls. Now 

 suppose these farmers get together and talk over as to what price they can 

 afford to pay and what age of bulls they wish to secure; we will say that they 

 agree to pay from one hundred and fifty to two hundred dollars for bulls 

 about one and one-half years of age. In order to secure these sires of uni- 

 form quality and type and in order to get as much for the money as possible it 

 would no doubt be found advisable to appoint a committee of three of the 

 best cattle -judges from among their number to purchase animals desired. 

 Suppose the committee purchases ten bulls, ranging in price from one hun- 

 dred and fifty to two hundred dollars; say they pay one thousand seven hun- 

 dred and fifty dollars for the ten, or an average of one hundred seventy-five; 

 dollars this amount should then be paid by each man. After bulls have been 

 purchased , let them draw numbers for the bulls in such manner that no favor- 

 itism in the first distribution of the animals can be shown. Each man now 

 owns his bull and must run his own risk incident to such ownership. 



Objection may be urged to this method of purchasing and distribution 

 on the ground that some of the farmers would pay more for their bulls than 

 they actually cost. On the other hand, it is reasonable to suppose that this 

 committee of three, who is in the market for ten bulls, could purchase them 

 enough cheaper and secure enough better quality than if each man purchased 

 his own bull independently of the others to offset this objection. Another 

 decided advantage, which in the long run would more than offset the slight 



