90 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



breeders have insisted on adorning their horses' legs with some- 

 thing that is of no use to us. I have seen Jersey cattle bred 

 so fine and fawn-like that they were small, delicate and failed 

 to make good at the pail. A man once grew enthusiastic over 

 starting a breed of five-toed chickens. He purchased a common 

 speckled rooster, giving S6 for him, for no reason except that 

 he had five toes. That man is not in the chicken business 

 to-day. 



There is^ a streak in human nature that makes us sometimes 

 prone to go after fads. The pig must have the white feet, and 

 the ear and tail must hang just so. It is nice to have the 

 unessential things, but the useful pig is one that comes from 

 a big litter of thrifty shoates that can convert feed into profit- 

 able pork. Whether the black and w^hite color of the cow is 

 in the right proportion and her nose of the right hue should 

 be secondary to her ability to consume much feed and manu- 

 facture it economically into milk. 



The live stock of any section can be divided into two general 

 classes, — the everyday grade that does the work and supplies 

 the general market, and the pure bred that is developed for 

 the purpose of furnishing blood to improve common stock. 

 These two classes can be divided and subdivided, and one 

 class merges into the other, so a discussion of improvement 

 applies to both. 



All live-stock improvements have been brought about by 

 selection, coupled with feeding, and care. This combination 

 must be relied upon for future developments. Breeding and 

 selection will not accomplish much without feed and care, and 

 vice versa. 



When the improvement of live stock is mentioned we at 

 once think of introducing new blood by selecting, buying, 

 importing or bringing from some other section animals that 

 are superior to those we have in our neighborhood. We think 

 and talk about the pure bred, the registered sire, and look to 

 him for our sajvation, and it is w^ell that we develop that in- 

 terest; but let us be sure when the pure-bred sire, the high- 

 priced animal, is introduced into the herd that the chances 

 are, as far as we can determine, in favor of the desired 

 result. 



