Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 
319 
than is generally supposed. The climate is healthful and the dry 
bracing air of winter, although cold, is better than the damp cheer¬ 
less weather of some supposed to be more favored spots. 
The rearing and feeding of live stock, gives work on the farm 
throughout the year, and thus enables the farmer to more steadily 
employ an important part of his capital. The growing of small 
grain exclusively, gives hurrying work during a part of the year and 
leaves the farmer comparatively idle during the remainder. Live 
stock use up profitably much of the coarser products of the farm, 
largely wasted in exclusive grain growing. The animals can get a 
good living from land which would otherwise give little or no prof¬ 
itable return. Keeping live stock greatly increases the quantity of 
manure made on the farm, and enables the farmer to better adopt a 
system of rotation of crops. Being able to ship live stock or ani¬ 
mal products, greatly helps western farmers in meeting the great 
transportation question. Breeding, rearing and feeding animals 
tends to higher intelligence and better farming. Few things will 
tend more to give boys a love for farming than interesting them in 
breeding. 
As nothing succeeds like success, a stronger argument in favor of 
giving increased attention to live stock than a feeling that this 
ought to be done or arguments to show that it would be profitable, 
is found in the abundantly proven fact that stock raising has paid 
well in Wisconsin and other parts of the northwest. 
But if money is to be made, the stock must be good stock. By 
good stock is meant that which is well adapted for the purpose de¬ 
signed. In the market reports we read that one steer sold for sev¬ 
en cents, another for three cents a pound. One is better adapted 
for the designed purpose than the other. The purposes for which 
we desire animals are best accomplished when they are far removed 
from their “natural” condition. No natural or wild animal is so 
well fitted for meat, milk or wool production as when it has been 
subjected to the influence of man. “ Like produces like,” but with 
exceptions and modifications, and so by selection and careful treat¬ 
ment we develope the characteristics we wish and repress those we 
do not desire, bearing in mind that no animal can be perfect, and 
that special development in one direction is usnally accompanied by 
lack of development in other directions, and that a characteristic 
which has descended through several generations is much more 
