TYPES AND MARKET CLASSES OF LIVE STOCK 21 



The advantages of live-stock farming may be summarized 

 as follows: 



1. Live-stock production, properly conducted, is a profit- 

 able business. 



2. It provides a home market and pays better than average 

 prices for farm crops. 



3. Makes easily possible the maintenance and improve- 

 ment of soil fertility. 



4. Gives steady employment throughout the year to labor 

 on the farm and thereby helps to solve the farm labor problem. 



5. Utilizes as pasture much land unfit for the plow. 



6. Utilizes much that would otherwise be waste on the 

 farm, such as straw, corn stalks, soft corn and other unsaleable 

 grain, meadow aftermath, many weeds, and garbage. 



7. Affords the best means of utilizing such by-products 

 as tankage, cottonseed meal, linseed meal, gluten feed, and 

 skim milk. 



8. Affords opportunity for higher development and appli- 

 cation of skill in farming. 



9. The care and handling of live stock is intensely inter- 

 esting work. 



The stockman's success depends very largely upon the 

 degree to which his animals meet with favor on the live-stock 

 market. If he is to make a financial success of his business, 

 he must produce what the market wants. Far too many feeders 

 of live stock lack acquaintance with market demands. Far too 

 many breeders devote themselves to a breed simply because it 

 satisfies a hobby and because the breed appeals to their fancy, 

 rather than because they see in their animals any special utility. 

 Unless a breed of beef cattle makes possible the production of 

 better beef for the market; unless a breed of swine is fostered 

 because in it is seen the possibility of improving the quality or 

 cheapening the cost of pork; unless a breed of draft horses is 

 really useful when put to the test in the collar; then such breeds 

 have little excuse for their existence, and those who foster them 

 must sooner or later suffer financially for their efforts. Both 

 the breeder and the feeder must know the demands of the open 

 market and keep them always in mind. 



The word "purebred" has a wonderful charm to many 

 persons, and perhaps rightly so,' yet many an animal, very in- 

 ferior from a utility point of view, has brought a large price 

 merely because it had a pedigree and a registration number. 



