494 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



animal nor a dairy cow; simply degenerating both, when had he stuck 

 to one breed until its inevitable return to profitableness he would have 

 received his well earned reward. 



Co-operation of farmers and breeders is necessary to the improvement 

 of live stock. If a pure bred sire is brought intO' your neighborhood and 

 he is of your breed you owe it to your conimuiiily, to your neighbor, to 

 your sons, to yourself, to lend your encouragement and patronage. 



No one can help improve the live stock of a community much unless 

 he has a desire to improve his own. He should not let selfish greed 

 actuate him to such an extent that he would rather let his own stock 

 deteriorate than encourage or patronize a neighbor for fear he might save 

 a few dollars. Nor can one help improve the live stock of a community 

 much by keeping a grade sire and placing the fee so low that it will not 

 sustain the animal on a better ration than frost and straw, and then 

 spend his time trying to convince himself that he is a public benefactor. 



You may think this a little severe, but you must know we are deal- 

 ing with a very severe drawback to improvement and I prefer to meet it 

 face to face. 



A great improvement would result if we would breed in line. If all 

 men who breed beef cattle would select one of the established breeds and 

 breed it to the exclusion of all others; if dairymen and horsemen and all 

 breeders would do likewise, and not jump in and out and mix their breeds, 

 we would have distinct types and breeds. ■ Let me quote again from 

 Senator Harris, I think he strikes the key note. 



In speaking of improvement in horses he says: "What a difference 

 there might have been had breeders been possessed of stick-to-it-iveness. 

 Had they gone on as they commenced, breeding year after year to the 

 sire of the same breed, selecting always the best procurable sire of that 

 breed, selling geldings but keeping all grade mares, building on and up, 

 the result could have been none other than a great success. That success 

 would have meant horses of one type, one blood, uniform, practically 

 pure bred, the personification of the successive sires used. Had districts 

 combined in the work they would have earned a name and fame for horse 

 stock of a given type, and buyers Avould have gone there annually for 

 supplies and been willing to pay an appreciative price." 



Had we made use of our opportunities and stuck to what we once 

 had, is it not a fact that Lagi-auge County could today have been head- 

 quarters for one or more of the established breeds of horses or cattle? 

 And had> we taken such advantage, is it not a fact that the valuation of 

 our live stock might have been twice what it now is? But is It now too 

 late to commence our improvement? 



Along the line, of feeding I simplj' wish to say, that good stock and 

 good feeding are one, neither is perfect without the other. And that with 

 the improvement of our live stock we should attempt to make ourselves 

 improved feeders. 



