452 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ARE PUBLIC SALES A BENEFIT. 



William D. McTavish, Coggcm, Iowa. 



With a view to opening up this subject for discussion by those 

 present I will make a few statements of my own views and observations, 

 hoping that every member will do the same. Without any preamble I 

 will go right to the point. 



In order to be of real benefit to the breed a public sale should be 

 a benefit to the breeder, because the breed of necessity receives its im- 

 provement at the hands of the breeder. A man who is spending his life 

 in Dreeding swine, if he improves his financial condition, must do so from 

 the proceeds of the animal sold. By the improvement in his financial 

 condition he is the better enabled to make improvement in the breeding 

 i^nd care of his stock than could otherwise be accomplished. So it is 

 safe to say that, as a general rule, what benefits the breeder will benefit 

 the breed and vice rasa. 



This being the case, a Dublic sale, in order to be beneficial to a 

 breed must be the means of causing the animal to bring as much if not 

 more net income to the breeder than could otherwise be realized. I have 

 no patience with the idea exploited by some promoters of public sales 

 that a breeder is doing a breed such a wonderful lot of good by scattering 

 his choicest sale stock among buyers who do not appreciate them enough 

 to bid more than pork prices. Animals thus obtained are usually given 

 scrub care and afterward valued accordingly. Such a sale, with such 

 patrons, will do any breed or breeder more harm than good. Far better 

 sell at private sale to parties who are willing to pay what the animals 

 are worth, as such buyers will invaribly give them good care and 

 they will develon into more valuable animals and be more highly 

 prized by their owners in the future. I dare say such sales will ultimately 

 do a breed the more good. 



A public sale has many advantages, such as meeting and exchanging 

 ideas with men engaged in the same occupation, men who have spent 

 their lives in the business and are posted in every phase of it. The old 

 breeder becomes acquainted with the new man and the class of animals 

 he buys. The stockman and the farmer in attendance will unconsciously 

 receive impressions regarding pure bred stock that will cause them to 

 improve their herds, if not to turn the leaf clear over and raise nothing 

 but pure breds. Thus the public sale, under favorable circumstances, 

 may be a great educator and a benefit to the breed. 



Some very successful breeders will sell their stocks in the other 

 way, while others equally as prosperous, sell entirely at private sale. It 

 is, therefore, very evident that the manner of selling is really not of so 

 much importance as the quality of the stock offered and the kind of 

 buyers you have. 



With these slight rumblings and the heaving of the surface in the 

 territory of the public sale region do not expect an eruption to break 



