EIGHTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X. 543 



Wool Growing Association as manager of the Santa Cruz range, with 

 50,000 head of sheep in charge, taut tiring of isolation he sought a new 

 home in Oregon, where, under Messrs. Reid & Ladd of Portland, he built 

 up a magnificent establishment, stocking it with all the good things that 

 money could buy. We next find him manager of several live stock es- 

 tablishments in the western states and Canada, and he was chosen by 

 T. W. Harvey of Chicago as manager of the Turlington herds and flocks. 

 Under his fostering care and fame of that establishment steadily increased 

 and "Uncle Willie's" great victories in 1897 at the fat stock shows of 

 Kansas City and Chicago with Turlington entries he had fed form an im- 

 portant part of fat stock show history. He there gained sixty-one out of 

 sixty-three awards — a record unprecedented. Mr. Watson was the only 

 man within our knowledge who has ever made the rounds of the world 

 in the capacity of judge of stock and as an exhibitor, having gained 

 laurels in both capacities on three continents. 



Mr. Watson died November 1, 1897, in the employ of A. P. Grout, Win- 

 chester, Illinois, a "doddie" enthusiast to the very last, although he 

 vas one of the most unique characters ever known to the live stock world, 

 a man of vast value in his lifetime to the beef cattle and mutton and 

 sheep industries. 



His success as a feeder was outstanding and yielding to repeated re- 

 quests for a full statement of his methods he gave this to the world in the 

 Gazette of December 26, 1888. His methods have formed the basis of the 

 education of many of our successful cattle feeders the past twenty years. 

 In response to a request we print Mr. Watson's statement in full: 



''Introduction. — As an introduction I may say the first step is to breed 

 the animal right; it matters little what you feed, if you have not the right 

 sort to consume it. Before commencing training the first point to inquire 

 into is whether the animal be worthy or not to entitled the owner to 

 lavish the expense and trouble on him so necessary to bring him out a 

 prize winner in first class company. If you have a doubt about it throw 

 him aside at once; if it is in the animal go at him and lose not a day nor 

 an hour in sending him to the front. 



"Formation — Before the calf is a week old a practical eye can tell 

 whether he is likely to turn out a good one or not. Get its bone forma- 

 tion right at birth, then you have a foundation to build on; if faulty at 

 start, then your pillar is worthless; no feed will upset the bone structure. 

 Suppose the calf pleases your eye, say about two weeks after birth, by his 

 general character, style and proportions. First see that he has the sweet 

 countenance and honest, broad face so marked in early maturing animals; 

 then see that he is fully built behind the shoulder, just under the heart; 

 if he is hollow there reject him. Then from hip bone center to bone of 

 tail (center) he should measure the same number of inches as across the 

 loin and from hip bone to hip bone. The bones on either side the tail 

 should be set a good width apart; from the hip bones forward to the 

 shoulders should be as broad as possible, with a little spring out or nar- 

 rowing as may be. At once reject a calf narrow over the loin; as Mr. 

 McComble used to express it, get them "well ribbed home" — compact; 

 pay marked attention to the straightness and soundness of the hind legs, 

 for as they give way, so will the back in proportion. 



