The Beef Calf. 



5 



houses, from livestock journals, or from free bulletins issued by your 

 State college of agriculture or by the United States Department of 

 Agriculture. Much valuable information may be obtained also from 

 the secretary of the registry association of the breed you select. The 

 State association organized in the interest of your favorite breed 

 will be able to assist you materially. Join such an association at 

 your first opportunity. 



Subscribe for a good livestock paper, especially the official journal 

 published by the registry association of the breed chosen. Study 

 the advertising section. Much can be learned from the announce- 

 ments of sales and auctions in regard to popular pedigrees. Ex- 

 amine carefully the pictures of the breed's best specimens. Become 

 familiar with the names of the breed's noted individuals, both past 

 and present, and look for them in a pedigree. 



Attend public sales held by breeders. Study sale catalogues and 

 note the remarks made with reference to the breeding of different 

 animals. An appreciation of the esteem in which the breeders hold 

 bloodlines of different individuals may be gained by noting the prices 

 paid and the activity of the bidding on them. A word of caution 

 here, however, may be necessary. Breeders frequently become over- 

 enthusiastic on family bloodlines regardless of how distant they may 

 be. In analyzing a pedigree consider carefully the sire, grandsires, 

 and great-grandsires, or parents in the first three generations, for 

 they contribute seven-eighths of the heredity. Look for the names of 

 famous individuals in these first three generations. Back of them 

 the breeding should be consistent, without undesirable outcrosses. 

 Of course the females in the pedigree must not be overlooked, but 

 it is the bulls that determine its value to a great extent. Look for 

 the names of noted men as being the breeders of some of these 

 animals. Remember that a breeder becomes famous by having pro- 

 duced noted animals. The following is a sample pedigree showing 



the first three generations : 



Sire, Black Woodlawn.JSire. Bell's Eclipser, 20695. 



Pedigree of — 

 Name, Idolmere. 

 No. 199904, volume 25, pagi- 14 

 Breed, Aberdeen-Angus. 

 Sex, male. Color, black 

 Date of birth, January 8, 1915. 

 Breeder (name). 

 Address. 



Sire, Oakville Quiet I [Dam, Blackbird 13th, 24464. 



109220. 1 ^^^^^ McHenry l^''"'^' Heather Blackbird, 20333. 



I 47th, 61884. [Dam, Queen McHenry 5th, 17490. 



rSire, Baltimore of Glendale, 24275. 



I Sire, Pabno, 38977. \ 

 iDam, Pride McHenry 6th, 23936. 

 Dam, Lady Ideal 7th, f^^'^' ^^^"^ Aristocrat, 11582. 

 20498. \ 



Dam, Anderson Findlay Lady Ideal ; 

 12330. 



In every breed there are certain bloodlines that are known to 

 " nick " well with another one. Ascertain what " nicks " or crosses 

 have produced the best results, and look for these combinations in a 

 pedigree. Do not be misled by family names, which in some cases 

 are derived from a female that appears as far back as the twelfth to 



