No. 4.] IMPROVED LIVE STOCK. 235 



cattle, — provided they are of the largest breeds, and placed 

 on the markets in first-class condition. I have in mind two 

 farmers in two different towns in the western part of the 

 State who not only raise their heifers from their choicest 

 cows, but also a few tlirifty steers each year, and find no 

 trouble in disposing of them at protitable prices. One ad- 

 vantage in raising good stock and keeping it well is that 

 buyers arc always looking after it, and are willing to pay 

 good prices for choice animals. 



The silo has come to be one of the leading factors in rais- 

 ing young cattle, cither for the dairy or for beef. P^xperi- 

 ments conducted at the Illinois experiment station showed 

 that more beef and i)ork were produced by the use of ensi- 

 lage, oats and hay than b}^ feeding shock corn, oats and hay. 

 More land was also required to produce the shock corn than 

 the ensilage. 



It behooves us here in the east, where our tillable acres 

 are few and our markets good, to exercise our utmost skill 

 to make each acre yield the best crop possible, thereby not 

 only increasing our income, but increasing the fertility and 

 productiveness of our small New England farms. 



The question is often asked. Which is the best breed of 

 stock to raise? This, I l)elieve, is a question each must 

 answer for himself. The breed that is best adapted to one 

 section might prove a failure in another. Not only this, but 

 the breeder's preference enters largel}^ into his success with 

 any particular breed of cattle, as well as in any calling or 

 occupation in life. What a man enjoys and enters into w ith 

 vim and determination is the thing in which he is most likel}^ 

 to succeed, providing he follows it persistently. The man 

 who is thoroughly fitted and who enjoys the detailed work 

 necessitated by the breeding of pure-breds, will get better 

 returns from his lands or flocks than he could by raising 

 grades or crosses. This is not onlj^ true of cattle, horses 

 and sheep, but is doubly true of poultry. I believe there is 

 no excuse at the present day for any up-to-date farmer i*aising 

 anj^thing but pure-bred poultry. There are nearly as many 

 different varieties as there are tastes, and nearh^ all of the 

 breeds have their good qualities, and any one who is so 



