FINISHING STOCK FOR MARKET 253 



high degree of uniformity as to size, color and gen- 

 eral condition. A car of hogs in which the in- 

 dividuals vary in weight but little will always re- 

 ceive favorable attention, and a lot of lambs which 

 are well finished, and almost all alike, will command 

 the attention of buyers when a poorly selected lot 

 will be unsalable. 



It should not be expected, no matter how much 

 care or how much skill be devoted to the selection 

 and management of fattening stock, that the de- 

 ficiencies due to early management can be overcome. 



REAR VIEW OF DAIRY BARN 



The cattle, sheep or hogs which top the market are 

 in every case animals which have received good care 

 and have made continuous thrifty growth from the 

 moment of birth. A calf which is stunted in its 

 growth during the first year, loses quality. This qual- 

 ity can never be regained even under the most care- 

 ful and judicious feeding. The animal may become 

 thrifty, he may grow fat and make good gains upon 

 the feed given, but he will never have the quality 

 that a similar animal kept growing from birth will 

 show. On this account it is not always possible 

 for even the most successful feeders to attain the 

 highly finished condition in stock which has been 



