STOCK RAISING AND SOIL FERTILITY 



185 



animals of average merit. The reputa- 

 tion of a herd is usually built up on 

 the performance of a few remarkable 

 animals, usually not more than one or 

 two. 



Selling stock — After one has grown 

 a few animals, the question arises as 

 to how to dispose of the surplus stock. 

 One of the many ways is to select a few 

 of the best animals and to exhibit them 

 at the county fairs. 



Exhibiting at fairs — The animals 

 should be shown in their best possible 

 condition. It is well for the breeder to 

 be on hand early and secure as promi- 

 nent pens as possible and to remain at 

 the pens or stalls with his exhibit, in 

 order to answer all questions regarding 

 them. This is a practical point often 

 overlooked and while the exhibitor is 

 watching the races, some other fellow 

 will be selling stock. 



Should he fail to take any prizes at 

 the fair, which is likely to be the case 

 the first time he exhibits, it would be 

 well to look closely at the animals 

 which won. If he cannot see why his 

 animals failed, he should ask the judge. 

 Judges are usually willing to state the 

 grounds on which they made Jheir de- 

 cision. The following year he should 

 be able to show his animals to still bet- 

 ter advantage and within a short time 

 will be taking his full share of the prizes. 

 In this way his breed is brought to the 

 attention of the public and he may be 

 able to dispose of all of his surplus stock 

 locally. 



Advertising in stock journals — In 

 case he is breeding extensively and the 

 local demand is not sufficient, it will be 

 necessary to advertise in the more 

 prominent stock journals. The adver- 

 tisement should be short and state ex- 

 actly what the breeder has to sell and 

 the character of his animals. Adver- 

 tising is something that cannot be car- 

 ried on spasmodically, but should be 

 continued every week or month, year 

 after year. 



Broadening the field at state and 

 national fairs — After exhibiting at the 

 county fairs, the next step will be to 

 make exhibits at the state fairs. Here 

 the competition will be very much 

 sharper indeed and the breeder may 

 have his vanity seriously jarred, before 

 he succeeds in carrying home any of the 

 coveted prizes. Every experience at 

 these fairs, however, makes him a closer 

 observer and broadens his outlook. If 

 he takes his lessons seriously, however, 



and can come back a little stronger 

 each year, he will soon be winning his 

 share of the prizes. 



The next great step is to show at the 

 international expositions; here he will 

 come in competition with the solons 

 of the show business. All this time his 

 acquaintance with breeders and live 

 stock men is growing as well as his repu- 

 tation and the notoriety of his flocks and 

 herds. 



Selling stock by auction — Another 

 method of disposing of surplus stock is 

 that of the auction sale. Such a sale 

 must be advertised in the papers. 



Usually the beginner will find it ad- 

 vantageous to join in with other breed- 

 ers, in holding an auction at some cen- 

 tral point. In this way the small breed- 

 er shares in the advertising advantages 

 and sale privileges secured by his con- 

 nection with other breeders whose opera- 

 tions are more extensive. This is a 

 quick means of disposing of the sur- 

 plus stock, and frequently stimulation 

 of the bidding in the auction ring se- 

 cures much higher prices than might 

 otherwise be obtained by private sale. 

 Whenever a sale is made, the breeder 

 should furnish the buyer as promptly 

 as possible a pedigree of the stock he 

 has sold. 



Mail order sales — Many breeders do 

 a large mail order business. In the 

 mail order trade the breeder should 

 be careful to keep a copy of all letters 

 regarding the description and sale of 

 any of his stock. It frequently happens 

 that a buyer wishes to purchase an 

 animal similar to one purchased one 

 to five years previously, but not related 

 to it. The correspondence record should 

 enable the breeder to satisfy his cus- 

 tomer. Great effort should be taken 

 to satisfy each customer because they 

 become advertisers for the breeder, and 

 in case complaint is made, though it 

 may not be altogether the breeder's 

 fault, he should do more than what is 

 required of him to meet the complaint. 

 Occasionally one may be imposed upon 

 but not often. With care, in replying 

 to inquiries and in describing animals 

 the complaints will be few and far be- 

 tween. 



Breeding record — Careful records 

 should he kept at all times and nothing 

 left to guess work. Every detail should 

 be known to a certainty. This is es- 

 pecially true of the breeding of pigs 

 where there are large numbers in each 

 litter, and every breeding animal should 



