conserving our breeding stock. Similarly, for many years, the high prices ruling for 

 veal resulted in annually increasing receipts for calves on the live stock markets. While 

 male calves of dairy blood formed a considerable percentage of such receipts, unfor- 

 tunately many excellent calves, both male and female, of good beef type, were slaugh- 

 tered. The loss to the breeding herds and to the feeders' stalls was serious and we 

 are even yet feeling the effects of this sacrifice of potential beef, despite the fact that 

 during the last two or three years there has been a marked falling off in the offerings 

 of good calves. The prevention of such sacrifices entirely will mark the second and 

 supplementary step necessary to the conservation of our breeding stock. 



While it is true that in many parts of Canada our live stock shows the evidence 

 of careful consistent breeding, there is a very considerable area both in newer sections 

 of the West and in the rougher sections of the older provinces in which no improve- 

 ment in quality has been effected in years. Further, it is unfortunately the case, that 

 in some districts in the West the quality of the cattle is already showing signs of deterior- 

 ation owing to the practice of foreign settlers of allowing scrub bulls and uncastrated 

 yearlings to run with the herds. The importance of using only good sires is appreciated 

 by a very large percentage of our farmers, but unfortunately, such sires are not always 

 used intelligently. Even in sections in which associations have been formed for the 

 purpose of improving the live stock of the district, the practice of breeding to a sire 

 of one breed for two or three years and then changing to a sire of another breed has 

 been followed, with the natural result that practically no progress has been made. It 

 has been well said that the average Canadian farmer is less conservative on the question 

 of the breed of the live stock raised on his farm than any other question relating to 

 his operations. It is time the fact was more generally realized that real progress can 

 be made only by consistently sticking to one breed, by using the best sires obtainable 

 in that breed and by systematically discarding females that do not prove their useful- 

 ness as breeders of animals of good type. Quality, which depends in the first place 

 upon good blood, is one of the most important considerations in live stock breeding 

 and has an important bearing on the price ultimately realized for the product when 

 turned into meat. 



It does not require a very intimate knowledge of the methods followed in handling 

 live stock on the farms of Canada to enable one to realize that too many farmers do 

 not appreciate the importance of the first year or of the first few months, as the case 

 may be, in the life of a young animal. It cannot be expected that a calf, no matter 

 how well bred, is going to develop into a well grown breeding animal or into a profitable 

 feeder if it has been allowed to practically raise itself during the first year of its life. 

 In fact, in many of the more backward districts it would appear that money invested 

 in well bred stock would be practically a total loss until the farmers are educated to 

 feed and care for the offspring properly and to give them a chance to develop. There 

 are many sections to which, of course, the foregoing remarks do not apply, but the 

 improvement that would be effected in our total annual live stock receipts by the 

 more general practice of properly feeding young animals would be remarkable. It 

 may be added that even in some of our better districts the cattle sent to market lack 

 finish, and only an exceedingly small precentage of our heavy steers would be suitable 

 for the British market. In addition, the number of cattle sent out of the country in 

 an unfinished condition as stockers and feeders last year was deplorable, particularly 

 in view of the fact that never were larger quantities of feed available. Herein lies one 

 of the most important questions to be solved in connection with the increase of our 

 beef production. 



The importance of renewed exertion on the part of Canadian stockmen during 1916 

 cannot be overestimated, and it is unnecessary to state that the Department of Agri- 

 culture, through the Live Stock Branch, stands prepared to support such efforts both by 

 policies at present in operation and by those that may later be inaugurated. 



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