1871. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



123 



gazed with wonder, and possibly with sorrow, 

 at the apparent approach of death. By de- 

 grees the veteran's forelegs were placed far- 

 ther and farther apart ; rapidly diminishing 

 strength instinctively compelled this method of 

 su])porting the towering figure ; at length the 

 body swayed, and, with a lurch like a founderr 

 ing ship, rolled on its side, and life departed 

 from the carcass at the same moment. Up to 

 the termination of the career of the noble 

 brute he had remained upon his limbs, defy- 

 ing decay with his last breath. With sorrow 1 

 looked upon the body, regretted that life had 

 tied ; although, at the same time, I had been 

 drawn to the spot with the intention of execut- 

 ing the office in which I had been fore-stalled. 

 Befitting was such a death to the greatest he- 

 ro, succumbing only when nature refused to 

 grant further support, yielding up the life and 

 strength he had gloried in without a sigh of 

 regret. — All Eoimd the World, by Capt. Park- 

 er Gilmore. 



ADVICE TO YOUNa BREEDERS. 



The high prices occasionally realized by 

 breeders of fine stock for a remarkable speci- 

 men, and the fine display often made at our 

 annual fairs by careful and intelligent breed- 

 ers, have the effect each year of inducing a 

 new crop of novices to embark in the business. 

 They purchase a few choice animals, at good 

 round prices, being fully impressed with the 

 importance of breeding only from the best, 

 and witli confidence expect to take rank at 

 once among the most famous breeders of live- 

 stock. 



But, alas for human hopes ! the finely-bred 

 animals that for generations have been accus- 

 tomed to the care and attention of a master at 

 the business, soon show signs of the change of 

 condition, and the enthusiastic but ignorant 

 proprietor becomes ashamed of his purchase. 

 Or, if they are fortunate enough to escape evil 

 consequences themselves by the change of 

 ownership, their progeny, from lack of proper 

 discrimination in coupling, fall far below the 

 sanguine anticipations of the owner. The 

 novice is disgusted. He thinks he has been 

 swindled — that inferior stock has been palmed 

 off on him (and perhaps it is tnie) , or that tliis 

 thing of fine-stock raising is all a humbug. He 

 gives up the business, and his place is taken 

 by another with Hke experiences and like re- 

 sults. 



There is one lesson which, if well learned bv 

 the public generally, would prevent many of 

 these disastrous failures, and it is simply this : 

 If you have finely-bred stock, you must take 

 care of it if you expect to make it profitable. 

 Animals that have always had the best of care, 

 whose progenitors for many generations have 

 been carefully tended by skilful breeders and 

 Hberal feeders, will not endure the neglect and 

 starvation to which our "scrub stock" have be- 

 come inured. Take the finest cow from the 



herd of Sheldon, King, or Spears, and subject 

 her to the rough treatment Common among our 

 Western farmers for one year, and she would 

 present but the ghost of her former self. 



From various causes there is a coiistant ten- 

 dency in all breeds of domestic animals to de- 

 teriorate ; and how to counteract this tendency 

 by proper care, judicious selection, and dis- 

 criminate crossings, so that there shall be im- 

 provement instead of retrogression, must be 

 the constant aim of him who would hope to 

 succeed. In this matter of selection and cross- 

 ing there is room for the exercise of the most 

 enlightened judgment. 



Those whose ambition or inclination would 

 lead them to embark in this business should 

 start right. Acquire first a knowledge of the 

 general principles which underlie the science 

 of breeding, and then study, critically, the his- 

 tory, hal)its, form, and disposition of the 

 species of animals you design to breed. Have 

 a plan — a well-defined ideal — and then, "hew 

 to the line ;" the very variability of all our do- 

 mestic animals will be, in your skilful hands, 

 the means of success. Go slow, and don't ex- 

 pect to reach the goal of your ambition at the 

 first efTort. If you have never read "Darwin's 

 Variations of Animals and Plants under Do- 

 mestication," buy, borrow or beg the book at 

 once, and read it. It will be worth years of 

 experience to you. Another book, invaluable 

 for its incidental discussion of general princi- 

 ples, aside from its specialty, is "Harris on 

 the Pig." The careful study of a few. such 

 books will save you many disappointments, 

 and greatly assist you in acquiring that knowl- 

 edge of the subject without which you cannot 

 hope to succeed. 



It should not be inferred that stock-raisers 

 and farmers generally will not find it profitable 

 to buy improved animals to cross upon the 

 common stock of the country ; on the contrary, 

 it is chiefly owing to the fact that the product 

 of the skilful breeder is constantly being sent 

 out, that the common stock of our land is as 

 good as we now find it ; but the aim of this ar- 

 ticle is to impress upon those who design to 

 make stock-breeding a special pursuit — 



1st. That it is time and money wasted to 

 buy a large lot of fine stock at fancy prices 

 without having any previous knowledge of the 

 business : 



2nd. That the breeder should have a well- 

 defined ideal, and labor patiently and perse- 

 veringly to accomplish his object : 



3d. That a thorough knowledge of the gen- 

 eral principles of breeding is essential to suc- 

 cess : 



4th. That care and attention must be given 

 without stint, and that all kinds of stock usu- 

 ally do better if the eye of the owner is upon 

 them every day ; and 



5th. That no man ever became eminent in 

 any profession or business without patient la- 

 bor and earnest application. — National Live 

 Stock Journal. 



