CHAPTER IV 



Examining Animals for Soundness and Health 



In purchasing farm stock, it is a good plan to deal 

 with reputable people only. Leave the horse trader 

 alone. He knows too many tricks, and if you are a 

 stranger to him you can be pretty certain that he 

 will try one on you just for fun. 



Fortunately farmers sell to strangers more fre- 

 quently than they buy of them, and when they 

 seek new stock they deal largely with breeders, 

 who, like themselves, are farmers and not given 

 to the tricks of low and disreputable methods; 

 nevertheless, every purchaser of stock should be 

 familiar with animal form and able to recognize 

 defects and faults when he sees them. This is as 

 much his business as to breed, raise or feed the 

 stock on his farm. 



LOOKING THE ANIMAL OVER 



Know what form you want; draft and speed 

 represent different types, so do dairy and beef. 

 With all classes of farm stock there are a few 

 points that are desirable in all stock. One of these 

 is width between the eyes. No animal of any 

 breed or class possessed of a narrow forehead is 

 at all perfect. A wide forehead is one of the abso- 

 lute beauties. 



These are desirable characters of all farm 

 animals; they represent culture and refinement 

 and good breeding. The purchaser or breeder, 

 therefore, should not only know conformation, but 

 he should know quality. 



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