THE LAMP OF EXPERIENCE. 855 



to use any other than red bulls. The pursuit 

 of this policy led to the sacrifice of many useful 

 cattle. There were not enough good reds of the 

 fashionable tribes to go around, so that the in- 

 evitable result was the use of many an indiffer- 

 ent sire for no better reason than the posses- 

 sion of a coat of hair and a pedigree certificate 

 that tickled the popular fancy the prime es- 

 sentials of constitution and thrift often being 

 ignored in the mad race to obey the behests of 

 the fashion of the hour. 



The more substantial element, however, op- 

 posed unceasingly this debasement of the breed 

 and stood out manfully for more rational meth- 

 ods, and in the course of time the red color 

 craze began to abate. Good roans can again be 

 disposed of at satisfactory prices. The general 

 preference is still for red bulls, but sensible 

 men do not carry their opposition to the lighter 

 colors to the extreme noted some years ago. 

 Indeed, both in the matter of color and fash- 

 ionable breeding there is a marked change in 

 the direction of reason and common sense to 

 be noted at this time; and in this fact there is 

 hope for the future. 



Handling quality. It is generally conceded 

 that feeding capacity is to a considerable ex- 

 tent indicated by the hide and hair. A soft 

 silky coat, assuming in winter a thick, furry 

 character, is always to be preferred to hair that 



