62 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



breeds of live stock ; another term was partly devoted to the 

 principles of breeding; and the subject of feeds and feeding 

 occupied several hours a week the third term. All through 

 this year of study he had been given practical work in judg- 

 ing live stock. His father owned a dairy herd, and the 

 instruction in animal husbandry in the college had been 

 teaching him important lessons, which, in his opinion, had 

 a direct application to the conditions at home. 



Wliat were some of the real practical truths that he had 

 been taught, leading up to success ? He had learned, by 

 repeated illustrations, that like produces like, — that this is 

 a law of breeding that is a part of the creed of every great 

 breeder ; that poor animals mated produce poor animals ; 

 that sires from superior ancestry produce superior oflspring ; 

 that no great breeder has ever risen to heights of eminence, 

 and built up a great herd, excepting by weeding out the 

 inferior and breeding to the superior ; that pedigree is worth 

 nothing, unless backed by constitution and individual merit ; 

 that no man can be regarded as an intelligent breeder Avho 

 does not breed on the basis of a knowledge of some of these 

 things. 



The laboratory or practical work in judging in those 

 college days commended itself to John in no uncertain 

 manner. There was a large room in one corner of the cattle 

 barn ; tan bark covered the floor. Here the instructor 

 brought his class of young men. A cow "was brought in. 

 The students were instructed in the various points which go 

 to make up the animal form, and their relative importance 

 to each other ; they were told what the ideal, mature cow of 

 this kind should resemble. Then they were requested to take 

 blank score cards and judge and score the cow before them, 

 and see how she woukl compare with the ideal described. 

 That was not easy the first day, but more practice smoothed 

 the way. Finally, several cows were brought into the room 

 and were ranged up side by side, and the class was directed 

 to judge and place them in their relative order of merit. 

 That was just what the judge did at the county fair, only he 

 was obliged to give a written explanation, on a specially 

 prepared sheet of paper, as to why he placed those cows in 



