FIFTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 359 



fully understands that there are difficulties in the way of starting a move- 

 ment of this kind, yet to say that it can not be done is unreasonable. It 

 must be remembered that these co-operating farmers do not need to be next 

 door neighbors, they may be scattered over a whole township just as well 

 as not, as exchange would only take place once per year. If ten farmers 

 can not be found within such an area who would prefer bulls from one 

 breed and who are willing to exchange with each other on some such plan 

 as recommended, certainly four can be found and each man could keep his 

 bull for two and one-half years which would still afford an opportunity to 

 get full value out of the bulls, but comparisons between the bulls can not be 

 made to advantage. Farmers co-operate in other matters and do it suc- 

 cessfully; they own stallions in partnership; they own grain elevators, gen- 

 eral merchandise, stores, farm implements and many other things. Why 

 not co-operate in bull ownership? It is a subject worth while to discuss 

 at farmers institutes. Possibly breeders of pure-bred stock might help 

 organize farmers in some communities and get them started to think 

 along these lines. If work oi this nature has already been begun in 

 some parts of the country according to a systematic plan, let us hear 

 about it, as this would naturally lead others to organize. Any new 

 scheme needs agitation before much can be accomplished, but farmers are 

 learning more and more how to co-operate and there never was a better time 

 to advocate co-operation than at present. 



THE FARMER'S BULL. 



L. N. B. in Breeders^ Gazette. 



The work of improving farm cattle is beset with difficulty. It is a time- 

 honored saying that " there is no excellence without great labor." To the 

 owner of a large farm or ranch, on which he has business for one or more 

 bulls to the extent of their capacity, the work seems easy to those of us who 

 have small farms and few cattle. We do not rear enough cattle to attract 

 buyers, and our two or three steers must be sold to the stock buyer of the 

 neighborhood, who has hard work, after much riding, to pick up a carload 

 of mixed stuff — steers, heifers, cows, bulls and stockers. This grade of 

 cattle sells low on the market and much lower at the farm, until there is so 

 little left for the farmer that he loses interest in cattle and looks on them as 

 a necessary nuisance. 



The wife wants enough cows to make the butter to go with eggs from 

 which she can get the money to pay for her dry goods and groceries. The 

 wife, as a rule, takes as much interest in the cattle and hens as the farmer 

 does in his hogs and farm crops from which he gets his money. As a rule 

 we find the farmer using a higher grade of boars than of bulls, simply 

 because he usually has more use for the boar and can turn him into money 

 by feeding him off with bis pigs. The bull costs more, has to be kept 

 longer, soon becomes unruly and is difficult to control. It is idle to talk of 

 keeping him in a lot by himself. He runs with the cows and heifers and is 

 ever looking for a chance to visit neighboring cattle. The diflficulty of get- 



