CHAPTER XVII. 



WHAT IS THE BEST BBEED OF CATTLE? 



THIS is a question daily asked by inquiring men, not well 

 acquainted with the subject, and not very easily answered, except 

 under conditions. 



After showing at so much length as we have done, that Amer- 

 ica has no original " breed " of cattle, as its own, and describing 

 with sufficient minuteness the breeds of foreign cattle best suited 

 to our purposes, it is vain to name any particular breeds as best 

 for all our own localities, and all our own uses. That the adop- 

 tion of some one of these foreign breeds, in their purity, or the 

 crossing of bulls of some one of them on to our native cows, is 

 advisable, we cannot doubt. It is for the interest of every 

 farmer and cattle breeder throughout the country, who takes any 

 particular care of his stock, to do so. For all such as take no 

 care of their cattle, but let them mainly take care of themselves 

 the poorer the breed, so that they can forage or steal a living 

 out of others, the better the Texans can perhaps suit them. 

 But, as this book will never get into the hands of such people, 

 nothing more need be said on that score. 



No understanding person will contend that any one breed of 

 cattle which we have described, is the best for all our soils and 

 climates, and our running remarks in describing them indicate, to 

 some extent, to what soils and climates they are best adapted. 

 Before concluding his choice, the farmer, breeder, and grazier, 

 must each well understand his own locality, and after efficient 



