50 A STUDY OF FARM ANIMALS 



these, he will follow the worst possible policy. As has been 

 suggested elsewhere, he would better cull out the undesir- 

 able animals and rely on a smaller number of good ones to 

 build up his herd. A group of uniformly good animals, 

 whether grade or pure-bred, is always an attractive sight, 

 and serves as an advertisement of the best kind. A motley 

 herd, lacking character, is not attractive, and hurts the repu- 

 tation of the breeder. 



Pay a premium for merit when purchasing animals. 

 Many breeders buy inferior animals because they are cheap. 

 From a breeding point of view, one should select animals 

 that combine individual merit and pedigree. If there is 

 anything in the laws of breeding that has been helpful in the 

 past, it is the knowledge that like produces like. Each year 

 in the history of a herd should mark improvement, which is 

 quite impossible if one purchases beasts of an inferior 

 character. The influence of a new animal in the herd is 

 usually far-reaching for either good or bad. One should care- 

 fully consider this, and be governed accordingly. Some of 

 the most profitable breeding animals in history cost a high 

 price. The Berkshire boar, Masterpiece, was purchased by 

 Mr. W. S. Corsa for $2,500, and proved to be a very profit- 

 able animal at what was then a record-breaking price. 



Try to become a judge. If one is to be a breeder, one 

 should understand the relation of form to purpose, and 

 should be able to select intelligently the right breeding 

 stock. It is impossible to conceive of a man's being a good 

 breeder who is not capable of judging his own animals 

 intelligently. There are many courses of instruction in our 

 schools and colleges of to-day in which systematic training 

 in judging may be secured. Good judgment in culling out 

 the undesirable animals from the herd, and in the purchasing 

 of new stock, is highly essential, whether for breeding or 

 feeding purposes. Some practical feeders have the reputa- 

 tion of shipping only good fat stock to the market, and buyers 



