94 PROFITABLE STOCK RAISING 



to ignore the pure-bred sire? It will never do, 

 under any circumstances, to use a sire that lacks 

 pure blood because he is a splendid individual. It 

 probably will be all right for the first generation 

 if the animals are to be disposed of for meat, but 

 even then it is a risky proposition. He will not 

 produce as uniform stock as a pure-bred sire. The 

 progeny will not fatten as readily, nor mature as 

 uniformly, so that every farmer ought to make up 

 his mind to use nothing but pure-bred sires, no 

 matter what other advice may be given him or 

 what his desires may be. In some instances, laws 

 have been enacted against breeding anything but 

 pure-bred stallions and forbidding the standing of 

 a grade. Other states are rapidly taking up these 

 laws, and it would be a splendid thing for the live 

 stock interests if this law could apply also to cattle, 

 sheep and hogs. 



If it is admitted that the sire is half the herd, 

 and the important part of the live stock industry, 

 his care becomes a matter of great moment. Be- 

 ginning with calfhood in cattle, he should be 

 liberally, yet judiciously, fed. He should be so 

 handled as to develop rapidly and completely. His 

 vigor must always be taken into consideration. He 

 must not be overfed, so that his vitality will be 

 impaired in any way. He must not be kept too 

 fat. He must not be fed exclusively on highly 

 carbonaceous foods. He must not be confined; he 

 must be given a liberal amount of exercise, but even 

 here, moderation must rule. Of course, he will be 

 started on mother's milk. This holds true in the 

 cases of horses, cattle, sheep or hogs. If the supply 

 is ample, no additional feed will be needed for some 

 weeks, except that he should be permitted to run 

 with the mother on pasture. He will soon learn to 



