Cattle, Catch-crops and Cover-plants 341 



take every available opportunity of visiting the 

 farms where the best specimens of the breed or 

 breeds you have taken up are to be seen. This 

 should prove of much educational value if 

 intelligently pursued, and guide you in your 

 future selection of animals to build up a name 

 as a breeder of first-class stock. When buying 

 foundation stock, start with a few of the right 

 sort, rather than a large number of indifferent 

 animals ; and supplement your returns with 

 commercial stock until you have grasped your 

 subject and feel no doubt that you have 

 properly gauged your inclinations and talents. 



Much disappointment and money would be 

 saved if more care and consideration were 

 given to the adaptability of the farm and 

 district for any particular class of stock decided 

 upon, before embarking in it on any large scale. 

 Making a commencement in a somewhat exten- 

 sive way with unsuitable stock is certain to be 

 followed by unsatisfactory results : this frequently 

 sours and spoils a man's life, whereas if he had 

 proceeded cautiously at the outset and felt his 

 way gradually, success would probably have 

 attended his efforts. 



By adopting the slower and, in our opinion, 

 the better system above recommended, the 

 young breeder and feeder has opportunities of 

 acquainting himself more intimately with the 

 characteristics of the particular breed he has 

 taken in hand, of forming an opinion of the 

 best strains of blood and the most reliable sources 



