The Farmer. Improvement of Live Stock.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2054, 5 September 1885, Page 6 (Supplement)

The Farmer. Improvement of Live Stock.

Journal of Agrindlure. To thoEO who make farming a business— farmiDg m its beat tensn— t»>e euli ct of greatest interest is Hve fctock, for without live stock tbere can be no permanent succesa in agriculture. Mixed husbandry is the best Of all husbandry; and mixed husbandry without farm animals would be an absurdity, something that only ft lunatio would persist in. Generally all this is readily allowed ; it is seldom, however, that it is properly and in the right spirit acted upon. In this inaction i« implied incapacity, which' is the most melancholy feature of the situation. The chief hope of the future, as to all this, is the fact that there is a growing belief that the higheat order of mind and business ability can find ample scope for the exercise of its great powers in the study of agriculture. In all the more highly civilized countries of Europe can be seen the practical demonstration of these ideas, and the necessities of competition will force tho farmer to adopt the same principles or to throw up the sponge. Machinery is doing all th.c drudgery of the farm, const quently more time can be given to the farm stook. The first stop towards thia'end is to employ only thoroughbred males. ' It is not enough that the male be a good looking grade. A grade may look just »s well aa the very best of his kind, but it has been demonstrated that his excellencies are not transmit(i.ablr, while the qualities of the thoroughbred are fixed and hardly ever fail to be transmitted. It is not infrequent that grades are disposed of to the unwary for thoroughbreds, hence great care should be used in buying, and none but reliable dealers be trusted.-for if the start is wrong, time and money art thrown away.