PREPARING FOR THE SHOW RING. 



235 



business in the ring ; he must have a thorough knowledge of what he is under- 

 taking, and do it skillfully." 



W. M. Benninger: 



"In order to prepare a herd for the show ring you must first have the ani- 

 mals to prepare, and this is the keynote to the whole business. One must be 

 an expert judge of cattle, or employ an expert to select the animals. The 

 selection must not be made to suit a particular person's fancy, but must be all 

 'round first-class individuals that will score as near as possible 100 on the scale 

 of points adopted by the association of the breed you wish to show. Be sure to 

 have a bull to show in the aged class. If you win first in this class, you have 

 won half the battle. 



"The preparing should be done continually, commence immediately after 

 you come in from the last fair or show in fall to get ready for the next season. 



"The main feature is plenty of good food, comfortable quarters, good clean 

 water, and extra care and attention. A show herd should be thoroughly 

 cleaned every day, plenty of arm muscle work with the brush should be used, 

 and the stables kept perfectly clean. The herd should be kept in a cool barn 



UNCLE TOM, No. 163 H. H. B. . 



Weight, 2290 Ibs. First prize at New York State Fair and Onondaga County Fair for four 



successive years. 



during the hot hours of the day, with thin blankets on them during the fly sea- 

 son, and should go to pasture and exercise at night. Plenty of good, fresh 

 grain is the best feed that can be fed. 



"In the young class select animals as old as you can get them; that is, in 

 the class for calves select one as near a year old as possible, and so on till you 

 get to the aged class; then a bull from three to six years generally in his prime, 

 a cow may be shown that is older, say from six to twelve years. 



"Let me here emphasize, be sure to have the herd in good condition, the 

 animals of strong constitutions and large frames. By saying in good condition, 

 I do not mean fat like the beef breeds, or so fat that you would injure the dairy 

 points, but in fair, good flesh. I even saw Mr. T. W. Cooper select, or prefer, 

 at the New York State Fair at Syracuse, Jerseys in extra good condition with 

 strong constitution in preference to the finer, slick, so-called dairy type. 

 ?"^" I am pleased to note that some of the most intelligent breeders of all the 

 dairy breeds are now trying for Holstein frames and constitutions, even if some 

 editors of leading dairy journals criticise expert judges for favoring dairy cat- 

 tle in good condition. 



"In conclusion, let me say when you appear in the ring be sure that you are 



