STOCK. 177 



Tlie native stock in our country has been much improved by 

 crossing them with blood stock. The class of grade cows of 

 each kind at the grounds was larger than ever before exhibited. 

 There was a large number of fine bulls of each breed, all full- 

 blooded, on exhibition ; thus an opportunity is afforded our 

 farmers of selecting such a grade as they wish to produce from 

 their native stock. 



Thorough-breeding is one of the most important but not the 

 only essential for superior cattle ; next to it is thorough-feed- 

 ing. We want to learn how to feed them in their youth and 

 maturity. There is a large field for investigation among our 

 most intelligent farmers, as to the properties of roots, hay and 

 grain for the sustenance of cattle, but all concede this point : 

 high feeding pays the owner the most profit. All the gain in 

 stock keeping is the difference between the cost of feeding and 

 care and the ultimate production from the animal ; hence the 

 more food, up to the point of health, the more profit. We can- 

 not expect a cow to furnish us more milk and butter than we 

 furnish her materials. 



A few years ago, before the organization of our county agri- 

 cultural society, the great object in feeding cattle, with many 

 of our farmers, was to see how much stock could be kept on 

 their limited supply of hay. The result of such experiments was 

 to turn from their barnyards in the spring a large herd of very 

 small, emaciated, skeleton cows, that required extra care to 

 restore them to ordinary flesh and health before they would 

 return to their owners any milk or butter. Such cases would 

 at this time call for the penalty in the statutes for cruelty to 

 animals. Those barbarities have passed away with the genera- 

 tion. The farmers of this day believe it to be a humane and 

 pecuniary policy to limit the amount of their stock, the num- 

 ber of their cattle, to the quantity of hay, pasture and feed 

 .which they have to dispense to them to feed well. 



No reliance can be placed on our native stock as breeders ; 

 they have sprung from a mass of mongrel blood and ill-assorted 

 races, and possess no hereditary traits. Hence the introduc- 

 tion of blood stock is a very important era. Like begets like ; 

 if we want illustrious progeny, we must look for illustrious an- 

 cestry. A distinguished agriculturist in this State has said, 

 " When I look around upon the dairy stock of the country, as 



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