404 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



If on the other hand he is compelled to neglect other business; if he 

 has only a fairly good herd he will hardly make his expenses. I have 

 known quite a few exhibitors to have to send home for money to pay 

 their expenses; on the other hand, I have known others who made a 

 little money showing cattle. Still I have come to the conclusion that 

 for my part the cheapest advertising I can do is in the best class of 

 stock papers. Of course it is necessary for some one to show cattle 

 to keep the respective breeds before the public. It is a good way to get 

 acquainted with the best class of stockmen. It is also a good way to 

 find out what kind of a herd of cattle you have. It is a good educator 

 for those who engage in it. To your correspondent I would say the time 

 is here when it will require a great deal of feed and attention to go out 

 with a herd and win at any of our leading shows. Competition is very 

 strong in the show yard now. 



H. Brown: As the beef breeds of cattle have to be fitted to compete 

 today do not show. As we showed them ten years ago, yes! In order to 

 be successful in securing prizes today one has to feed from calves and 

 crowd to the utmost limit regardless of the detriment to the animal by 

 overdoing; and in the most of cases ruin both male and female as breed- 

 ers. The custom has grown worse every year, until I have abandoned it. 

 I was a constant exhibitor at all the leading state and national fairs for 

 many years and met with success, but always stopped feeding when my 

 cattle reached what I thought was the "danger line." But I always pre- 

 sented them in good bloom and today cattle in that condition would be 

 classed as "not up in flesh," hence no particular advertisement to the 

 exhibitor. Under no circumstances would I think of putting an aged 

 herd of cattle in that flesh. A young herd can be fitted for a year or so 

 if stopped at that time without serious results. And until a change in 

 the rules of showing is inaugurated no man can afford to show, and but 

 very few will do it. Good cattle are too scarce and worth too much 

 money to be ruined in that way. 



George Bothwell: In regard to the question whether it pays the 

 breeder to show his cattle or not I will say it has paid me and paid me 

 well. At the first show I did not win many prizes, but as it afforded me 

 the opportunity of comparing my cattle with others it proved a great 

 educator for me, and as time went on I bred and showed better cattle 

 each year. I can look back now and see that if I had never gone into 

 the show yard I would not have accomplished much as a breeder. As 

 an advertising medium I believe it is the best and cheapest. I do not be 

 lieve that a man should be discouraged if at his first show he does not 

 win, but should try again. While the prizes may not pay his expenses 

 of fitting the cattle for show I believe he will be amply repaid by get- 

 ting, his cattle before the public and becoming better acquainted with 

 the breed and breeders. If he is successful in winning prizes he will be 

 paid both ways. 



