VOL. XXVII.
o.?   *^i
INDIANAPOLIS. IND.. JAN. 30,1892.
NO. 5
LIVE STOOK INDUSTBY.*   ,';
The Indiana Associations iu Am* ml
Meetings.
Discussions, Oatlook and Resolutions
IHDIAHA SHOBTHOEH BRKJDERB.
- The 20th annual meeting ot tbe Indiana
Bhorthorn Breeders met In annual session
In the Agricultural rooms last week, with
Pres. J. M. Sankey, Torre Haute, In the
chair. Owing to tbe prevalence of "La
Grippe*' throughout the state, and the extreme cold weather tbe attendance was
light,  yet considerable enthusiasm  was
«manifested. Pres. J. M. Sankey delivered
his annual address, which was purely extemporaneous. He encouraged tho breeders to continue in the breeding of this
noble breed. He spoke of the condition of
the business of tbe past year, snd how fortunate the breeders were compared with
otber live stock breeders. The majority
of the members who were placed upon the
program were not present, so the only
paper read  before  the  meeting was by
- Hon. S. F. Lockridge of Greencastle.
MR.   T-DCKBIIX.B'S ADDRF.S.H.
Hisrabject was, •'Overcoming  the Obstacles in Breeding Shorthorns."   Hopre-
- fac*! hia address by a reference to the
general depression in agriculture, which
had prevailed for a decade or more, and
said that like depression had followed the
Shorthorn breeding interests for a number of- years, but maintained that the
trouble was not because the business had
been overdone, but tbat the breeding bad
been unscientific in a large meature. "Nor
was it so because of the introduction ol
other improved breeds in competition, for
there was room enough and to epare in
this breed alone for all pure breeds for
many years to come. If there haa been
an over-snrplus of cattle, it has been the
poorer an unimproved sorts, and the crying want of the a?e is a more universal
u*e of aires of improved blood on the common cattle of the country. The problem
that confronts the breeders of pedigree
stock is hotr to convince the small breeder
and general farmer who rear tbe market
cattle, of the importance of pure bred
sires over ordinary gradea and scrubs. As
a class, they ate disposed to place but little faith in pedigree and too much in the
qualities tbat appeal to the eye alone. Tne
breeder of long experience will select hi»
breading stock from families and tribes
known to havo been bred with care
for generations, which he knows will
reproduce the tame kind in its
descendenta. The novice Is in
liuenced almost wholly by external
confirmation of the animals, regardless of
the qualities of iu ancestry, indifferent to
the fact that a bad individual Is prepotent
to i ts bad q uaiities as a g-xid one in its reproduction of good qualities. The opinion
that one or two crosses of good blood are
sufficient in sires, is too prevalent with
that class to-day, notwithstanding all that
haa been written and said to the contrary.
AU or you have had experiencs with thn
man who boastsof his wondetful half blood
calf he purchased at one fourth tbe price
he would have to pay for a pure blood,
and was as good In his opinion for his
purposes as any pedigree calf. It is a common expression with that class of men,
that as tbey are only raising steers for the
market, a common or ordinary grade sire
is good enough for them. This theory ls
of course detrimental to the Improvement
of the cattle of the country, and is  creat-
' ing sad havoc with the farmers' excheq-
qer. How shall this class bo convinced of
their error and the fallacy of tbeir theory T
- In the first place, I may ask, ls not the
Ttireederof pedigree stock himself largely
to blame for this condition Of thing".
The general praotics that has attained of
late years among many breeders ot resolving all of their stock for brooding purposes regsrdless of merit, and disposing of
their inferior ones to the farmer at a low
price, rather than send tbem to the butcher, has in my Judgment had much to do
with tho prejudice tbat exists ln some
quarters against pure blood. Many of
tbese small breeders and farmers visited
the herds ot pedigree stock and lured by
the low prices, purchased inferior animals,
not having the knowledge and experience to select tbe boat, and having used
them on their common stock are greatly
disappointed at the,'result. They attribute tbese bad results to the breed ln general, and afterwards denounce pedigree
stock as a delusion and a snare. The Bale
rings of tbe breed for years will bear witness nf the fact tbat a large per cent of the
cattle so offered should never have hail
an existence at all, much less bave been
paraded before the public as representatives of a matchless breed. Oir pure
breeds we produce by a long and systematic c-iurseof sell,- ion and pairing of
the best, by a rigid adherence to the law
of the survival of the fittest.
Before tbe days ot berd looks, the Coll-
lDgs and 1! joths and Bites and contemporaries, retained in their herds fur breeding purposes, only the choicest of their
animals and evon tbe best of these lf tbey
failed for any reason to add their quota
to theherd for only a single season, were
relentlessly sent to the shambles. Thus
in tbe course of years a long line of noble
ancestry was established, never before
surpassed.
But this era of honest and intelligent
breeding was followed by one of Indited
prices and wild speculations in which fads
and crazw became the sentiment of tbe
hour. And the ranks rapidly filled
with the heterogeneous crowds of enthusiasts who brought to the business about
as much knowledge of the fclence of
breeding as a Pine IMdge Indian or native P*Ugonian. From all these result*
Indiscriminate and icj idlclous crosMng
of every description, with no other recom
mendatlon than that they were possesed of
a pedigree, and tbis is tbe Jesuit in a vast
ly deteriorated clans of cattle. Of course I
do not say tbat all breeders have pur-ued
tbis course and that there are none of our
cattle equal to those produced by earlier
breeders. On the contrary, I am confident
that there are as good Shorthorns in exis,
tence now, both in this country and ln
Oreat Britain as ever were decorated with
show yard honors in the palmiest days of
the breed. Of the thousands that dally
find their way to the great markets ot the
country, it is remarkable how small is the
per cent of really prime beeves, though the
same markets will attest the fact that a
really prime beast will bring a first class
price every day in the year.
The lesson from all thia to learn, Is to
breed from the best, by selecting the best
animals forfbreeding purposes, and raising
only the best sires that can be obtained,
and by a rigid enforcement of a rule to retain in the herd only such of the produce
as possess in form and constitution the elements tbat go to make up first class animals and by sending to the shambles all
that do not reach the prescribed standard
In conclusion, Mr. Lockridge said, "by a
a faithful adherence to tbese teachings and
examples, the Shorthorn breeder can labor in his chosen field without fear of the
final result, forthe signs of the times
point unmistakably to the fact tbat the
golden age of cattle breedingis yet before
us, bat In the meantime the sooner the
mere trader ot pedigree stock is driven
from our ranks the better it will be, notonly
for the improvement of pedigree stock,
bnt for the interests of all concerned aa
well."
The session on Wednesday morning was
ctlled to order by President Sankey at 10
a.m. The only business done was to
hear the report of cm mit tee. Thes commute upon omuers for the ensuing year
reported as follows:
President, J M Sinkny, Terre Haute;
Vice-President, Calvin Cowgill, Wabash;
Secretary, W... S. K ibblns, Horace;
Treasurer,]'.   C.   Thompson, Edinburgh;
Tne committee upon expert judges, reported tbe following revised list for   ls'.'i:
B F. Legg, Windfall; Joseph lllppey,
Syracuse; J. D Spahr, Centerville; J. A.
(*. lton, Manilla; Felix G trtln, Burney;
E-cra Swain, Noblesville; J. W. Harper,
Wa 'ash asper N. Lse, Hllev; John
Welch, Gosport; H. C. G. Bala, Indlanapo
lis; John McCaslin, Franklin; Thomas
Wilson, Bloomingdale; J. W. Morgan,
Danville.
The committee on program* reported
the fol lowing program for iwi:$:
1. Tbe art of feeding Snorthorns for
profit, W. E. McCord, Martinsville.
2. Shall we specialize our Snorthorns
into milk producing aud beef producing
classes? Joshua Strange, Arcana.
3. In selecting Shorthorns for breeding purposes, shall color be consldared?
Frank  Taylor,  Indianapolis..
4. How to create a greater demand by
farmers for Shorthorns. E. C. Thompson,
Irvington.
The report was adopted.
A committee consisting of Frank Tay
Ior, Ciaude Muthews and E. C. Tc.onp
son was apoointed to look after the best
interest of the L-.ve Stcck breeders of thia
State, also to secure asuttable appropriation for premiums co ba dlvld.d among
tho Live Stock Breeders. Canirlderabu.
discussion was held upon this subject.
The question was asked whether we
ware losing ground in tbe breeding of
cattle, are they as good now as formerly,
this question was discussed by S. F. Lock-
• idge, of Oreencastle, Calvin C.iwglll and
J«s Jackson, of Wabasb, T. A. Cotton, ol
Mar ilia, Joshua Strange, of Miami and
J. M. Sankey, of Terre ll-tute. Ewh gen
tleman except Mr. Sankey was of the
opinion that the beef cattle were not as
good now as formerly, on account of the
fact tbat so many creameries were being
operated in the State, that the farmers
were looking more after dairy Instead of
beet sires and dams. Mr. Sankey, however thonght in his locality the beef cat
tie were better now than heretofore.
Mr. Matthews oflered the following res
olutlon which was adopted:
Vtao/ivd,   Tbat  the various  livestock
breeder.* ass x-latlous ot tne State ot Indiana, be requested   to appoint  such a com
mtttee of mree or at  least one repreaenta
tlve to act with the committee appointed
by tbis association, to confer with tbelndi-
ana B mrd of World's Fair Commissiiiners
In an efiort to secure a  jast recognition of
the ltve st ck interest of the State and also
a fair and liberal  share  of the appioprla
tlon made by  the  State  to  encourage a
proper exhibition of its live stock.
The secretary was instructed to have
a list of expert judges printed and a copy
sent to each fair association in the Stale.
The meeting adjourned to meet the 3d
Thursday in Januarv, 1893.
IHDIAHA WOOL OBOWJSBS.
The 16th, annual meeting of the Indiana
Wool Growers' Aassoclation, met In convention in the agricultural rooms in the
State House on the 21th, inst. The attendance was very good, and great interest was manifested in the meeting. The
convention waa called to order by President C. A. Howland, of Howlands.
Tbe minutes ot meeting were read by J.
W. Robe, of Greencastle, sec'y, and were
approved by the com entlon.
Cal Darnell, of Indianapolis, was called
to the ch*ir, where upon, President C. A.
Howland, delivered his annual  address.
*       PJ-ESIDEST'S ABVBBaa.
President C. A. Howland, in  hia ad
dres*, congratulated the wool growers on
their success the past year. He believed
that any breed of sheep properly cared for,
Is superior to any breed neglected.
Breeders should claim all the virtues possessed by the breeds they fancy, but the
breed of sheep that yields, the greatest
amount of salable wool and the most mutton are of the most profitable to the wool
growers.
Fairs should offer their beat premiums
on sheep bred hy exhibitor. Let us strive
to capture thn hlghett pri7.9 at the Columbian fair with cheep raised in the United
States. By proper coupling and feeding
oursheip, ths intelligent breeder ot the
United States may yet live to receive
orders from our English brethren for superior specimens to improve their flocks,
Wehave the advantage over otber breed-
era of Hvfl hL-tjoIt, tor our  ^TTtrnuient   naS
placed a tax upon foreign wool, and therefore our wool grower cau aflord to sell
mutton cheaper than cattle men can sell
beef, and make more money, trader no
circumstances should Congress reduce the
duty on foreign wool. Give the farmer an
equal chanca with the manufacturer, send
men to Cm gross that will support such a
mpRJ-ure. In our deliberations let us so
arrange our matters that Congress may
know our wishes, aud also feel our influence in behalf of sheep husbandry.
At the conclusion of the President's ad-
dress, Prof. W. A. Ball, of Indlanapolla,
read his paper on
SHEEP    ASA    FACTOR   IN   SUrPLYISO    THK
WANTS OI' MAN.
The subject Is a practical one, nothing
to do with breeds of sheep. Let us look
around and take a larger view ot the subject, lt will give us a better opinion ot
our work, result in better work and men.
A man who has respect for his work, will
not palm off shoddy f.ir real wool. Wool
growing is but a small part of the farmer's
work. I.ook at Indiana, the number ot
sheep assigned for Indiana in 1891 1,150,-
200, value $1,114,150 placing Indiana as the
10 h, State in sheep husbandry. In Indiana, sheep have increased. three per
cent. Number of sheep in the
United States in 1891 were 13,431,130 b3ing
one million less than the number)eported
ln 11.00. In face of the d -crease Incumbers
the value Increased, sheep were tbe only
domestic animal, that did not depreciate
ln value from 1MX) to is;)I. The annual
clip of tho United States is more than
300,000 000 lb*, of wool. Added to this we
Import more than 100,000,000 lbs. for manufacturing.
We have more than 2008 factories with
an invest, d capital more than JlCO.000.000.
L-kbor omployed, 100.0(0 men, women and
children -amount paid ln wages is nearly
■J30.000 000 annually. The raw material
is worth $100 000 000, the finished product
twice as much. Indiana bas 100 woolen
factories, invested capital 2*4 million dollars, giving employment to 2000 people,
amount of product turned out 13,000,000.
The woolen manufacturing interests of
England alone ls in excess of the
United States, while Australia alone
produces 90,000,000 sheep. All classes
of mankind are benefitted by the
sbeep husbandry. They all wear woolen
clothes. Sheep is a pri me factor in supplying the wants of man, in the way of
clothing. Now aa to sbeep as a meat supply. Mutton is growing In favor year by
year. Tnis is Indicated by the fact that in
Indiana alone in the year 1880, the num-
berof Bheep slaughtered was 82,706. In 181*0
the number was 20,000 less and can be accounted for the on ground that tha price
of sheep was high and hogs and cattle were
low. And in view ofthis fact, in a few
yearsjthe number ot sheep bred ln the
United States will be 100,000,000 instead of
43,000,000.
Some of the gentlemen -who were to
Conolttdod «h ttmmo 4.