1890.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 149 



almost any pure-bred stock can be bought, why should 

 the farmer use grade stock? I certainly can see no 

 reason for it. I think if a man has pure-bred stock he 

 is more apt to take better care of it than of grade stock : 

 and as long as upon the character of the stock de- 

 pends to a large extent the profits, I believe it better for 

 the farmer to have pure-bred stock ; and besides, if he has 

 any to sell, it will usually sell for better prices. My belief 

 is that no farmer should be without pure-bred stock. Of 

 course I would not advise a man to go into it in a large way 

 at first, but you can start in a small way, and by and by you 

 will find that you have increased the quality of your herd at 

 small expense. 



Mr. Douglas. I have bred-up native stock that will out- 

 strip anything that I have bought as full-blooded from the 

 best herds. It is an actual fact that by so doing I have bred 

 my herd up to three hundred pounds very much quicker 

 than I could by any purchases that I could make of pure- 

 bred stock. We all understand that a breeder is not croing 

 to sell his best stock ; we have got to take second- class 

 stock. I started ofi' with the idea of buying blooded stock 

 for the basis of my herd, but I found that my graded-up 

 stock outstripped the blooded stock in actual working value. 



Mr. Lyman. I am very thankful for the statement that 

 the essayist has just made. I have made that statement 

 from practical tests, but I have never found stockmen or 

 any others who seemed to credit it. I have bred-up graded 

 stock that, as the gentleman has said, outstripped any pure- 

 breds I have ever had or my neighbors have had. 



Mr. Dyer. I would like to ask why. The facts are 

 given us ; is there any reason why ? 



Mr. Douglas. "Well, I indirectly pointed to the fact that 

 blooded stock for butter-making purposes or any purpose 

 is not all bred perfectly. If for the past thousand years 

 it had all been bred perfectly, we might buy blooded stock 

 and be sure of getting the very best ; but, as a practical fact, 

 there is but a small percentage of blooded stock that will 

 come up to three hundred pounds or three hundred and fifty 

 pounds of butter. That is the actual fact, as I found out. 

 I have been obliged to sell fine-looking cows, that had all the 



