The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., May 21, 1910, Page 374, Image 10

About The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

                
SPECIAL- AND GENERAL-PURPOSE BREEDS.
By Tait Butter.
-1 HEN A division of labor and
specialization of efTort be
- came a fixed policy with man,
there arose a need for domestic ani
mals aaapted to special purposes or
for doing special work. To move the
heavy loads in commerce, or to pull
large implements on the farm the
draft horse having much weight is
required. In these animals speed 1b
not demanded, the ability to move
heavy loads at a walk being their
special requirement. Horses are also
used for rapid movement of light
loads, and the light harness horse
and the saddler were developed, as
distinct from the draft horse, for
this purpose. The light horse, though
powerful for his size, is not able to
move the heavy loads required of the
draft horse by modern conditions.
On the other hand, the draft horse
can not carry his great weight with :
vuv w|/vv\a uuu uuuv < vw iu vuv
driver or saddler. These and other 1
special uses have been the reason <
for the development of special breeds
and types of horses adapted to these
special lines of work, which they can
do better than any one class or sort
of animal could do all the different
kinds of work demanded of horses.
Special breeds then, as compared
with general-, or even dual-purpose
breedB of animals mark a higher step
in our civilization. The man who
specializes does better work than the
“jack of all trades,” who is general
ly master of none. Likewise the
animal bred, fed and trained for
generation after generation in one
Vine Of work, or for some special pur
pose, is found to serve that special
purpose best. In principle, the choice
between general-purpose and special
purpose animals ought to be easy,
but when all the conditions under
which domestic animals are kept are
considered, the question frequently 1
becomes complicated and difficult of '
solution.
Some Problems the Breeder Must
Solve.
For instance, on the farm, horses
are used at work where the greatest
weight is required; while more or
less light work, where speed is an
important consideration, is also re
quired. Many farms also breed more
horses than are required for use on
the farm and the best profits come
when the brood mares and young
animals perform some of the farm
work. Therefore, since the markets
may demand and the largest profits
come from a type of horse not best
suited for farm work, It often be
comes a difficult matter to decide
what sort of horse shall be bred—the
one that will sell best or the one that
will best do the farm work. Owing
to the fact that the special purpose
animal is the latest and highest pro
duct of the breeder’s art, is more dif
ficult to produce with regularity or
certainty, and can do at least one
kind of work better than the general
purpose animal, it usually brings a
higher price. That is, the general
purpose animal is usually a low
priced animal, just as the unskilled
laborer receives a lower wage than
the skilled workman who has ac
quired the ability to do some one
line of work with a high degree of
efficiency.
It is manifestly impossible to ob
tain a horse that will pull as heavy a
load as the draft horse and also be
able to move with the fleetness of
the standard-bred trotter, but he
may have more speed than the draft
horse and still pull a larger load
than the trotter. In other words,
the general-purpose animal is an
average animal in the degree of
efficiency with which he can do all
the different kinds of work de
manded of horses. This is well
illustrated in what is known as
a "combination” horse, throughout
the South. The best driving or light
harness horse is injured as a smooth
and desirable driver by being used
to any large extent as a saddler, and
the high-class saddler is less satis
factory if used as a driver.
Beef and Dairy Cattle.
The same general principles apply
to special- and general- or dual-pur
pose breeds of cattle. With cattle,
however, there are only itwo im
portant uses to which they are put
n modern agriculture, the produc
tion of beef and milk. These two
Ines of work or functions are more
*r less antagonistic, or at least re
. „„ POLAND CHINAS
A Prize-Winning Pen. Owned by J. R. SparkB, Hunter. Okla.
luire different conditions for their
lighest development. Of course, all
:ows should and generally do pro
luce sufficient milk for their young,
and all cattle make beef, but these
functions have been specialized or
developed to such an extent by selec
tion and feeding that individuals and
breeds have acquired an unusual de
gree of efficiency. In other words,
we have special beef breeds develop
ed for the special work of producing
a large quantity of the best beef;
special dairy breeds, which by selec
tion, care and feeding have been
developed to an extreme degree of
dairy efficiency, and also breeds
which have been maintained with a
view of producing the best results
in both of these lines. These last are
the so-called dual-purpose breeds of
cattle. With cattle, as with horses,
farm conditions d pm nnH o nom tw.i
Will do all the work cattle are kept to
perform, but If more cattle are kept
than are necessary to supply the
farm with milk and butter, which
should generally be the case, con
siderations of largest profit may dic
tate that a special-purpose breed be
kept.
Limitation* of the Dual-I'urpoae
Breeds.
When more cattle are kept than
are required to furnish the demand
for milk, and especially on Urge
areas of cheap lands, one of the sp*.
cial-purpose beef breede apneariu*
be demanded. If the main p„rp*«*
for wh ch cattle are kept |k for u*r
production, It would appe*, • *
special beef breed Is Indicate ' v
ttie other hand, the to an
cows for dairy purposes «..... K,
to keep a cow for the beef calf she
produces, but in such case it is
doubtful if in this country it will be
found profitable to raise beef cattle
at all. These are the conditions
under which the dairy cow, the most
economical animal producer of hu
man food, is demanded.
In short, high-class farming re
quires high-class live stock, and the
highest class animal and the one
which brings the largest price and
yields the largest profit, Is the one
bred and fed for a special purpose.
i'llSave You $30
On m Manuro Spreader
fU You’ll Lot Mo-s
postal will firing my Big I
Having fries and Sjieclal I
tniKh answering this little ad-1
I
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'
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ford to care for, feed and milk any
thing but the best and a special dairy
breed seems to be demanded. ^
The larger number of Southern ^
farmers seem to still believe in the (
general- and dual-purpose ideas. The ;
demand for the general-purpose
horse and the dual-purpose cow is 1
almost universal. The fact that we
have not made much progress in
live stock husbandry is probably the
cause of the persistence of the gen- t
eral-purpose idea, and may, in a '
measure, be good reason for continu
ing along general lines; for only
after good general foundations are
laid is high specialization attainable.
So long as we prize rustling quali
ties and ability to withstand indif
ferent treatment more than the fac
ulty of responding profitably to good
feed and care, the general-purpose
animal will best suit our condition.
The dairyman, however, is a special
purpose farmer, and none but a
special dairy breed should be main
tained. The increased profits from
dairy products from the special dairy
breeds, will more than pay the dif
ference in the value of the bull
calves and the old worn-out cows of
a dual-purpose breed. On the other
hand, it is generally true that on
higli-priced lands it is not profitable
Bargain Prices t
Cheviot Sheep and Angora Goats and
Bucks for herd headers. Pairs and
rios at bargain prices. Berkshire Pigs
is good as grow.
CLOVERDALE STOCK FARM,
l. C. Davidson, Prop., - Obion, Tennessee.
ewe: lambs
Some Extra High Grade Shropshire Ewe Lamba.
roo good to send to the market will sell just a tit
le above the market pi Ice. Some beautiful colored
ftiorough Bred Shepherd Pups, natural healera.
rnm movlrlnff sftain (R frt onek
H. G. McHAFFEY,
Koute No. 8. - -- -- -- - Flenzl. Mies.
ANGORA GOATS
Three Bucks and a few Does, for sale.
WM. LEA, ... Selmer, Tenn.
POLAND CHINA PIGS from prize-winning re
gistered stock. $10.00.
J. L. HERRING, - - Courtland, Miss.
137 Sheep and 14 Lambs For Sale
$3.25 per head, clipped.
A* W. HALBERT. • Stirkvills
PRIZE WINNING POUND CHINAS
If you are going to boy bogs buy good
bogs, they are the cheapest My herd
won nine ribbons at the Oklahoma
State Fair 1909. A lot ot fancy Boars
tor sate. Write today.
J. R. Sparks,.Hunter, Okie.
" Keetecky Jack Fens
la the wholesale home far
fecks, as we breed and raise
the big mammoth Kentucky
J*°*s< and eell you a first
class lack « to to per cent*
cheaper than a dealer or
•peculator can. Write to-day
_ tor prices oa Jacks, Jennets
A large lot to select Irom.
Me a. wrtcbt. Jesitlea Ckr. Kr.
BLUE RIBBON
BERKSHIRES
out at *00 lb. lows and up. OnfuSS
sb^SSK”* *
Rmo poll OATTLm7-Itoilmnd
immune »o lick fever. Young kulla and hell
an tor tale. A largo hard ol oaratulir “T'tntad
and wall bred oowe to aeleot from. Coma and
leetham. Addreaa
J• B, BRIDGE!, ».
„ or. w. a turner:
Magowah Meadow* Stock Farm.
R. F. D. 1, Crawford, Mia*.
Fair View Farm Berkshires
jsr
t. E. MATTOX, • Verona, Mbs.
REGISTERED DUROC-JERSEYS
Belaher Broa , - Whitesboro, Texas.
DUROC- JERSEY P16S
E?bJiSui ho?.0®*1" “*"«««• No Dot
W. O. GUTHRIE. Port aib.cn, Ul«.
Come and aee or order my
_!piasa k;do.wjj‘deep
Ihurst confidence on my**"-3lr*
wngus ste^rrmsaasT
fJox 10. Godfbrv, III.
NWnl Eadtaft Math,
*•*» lew aaie by
CLEM LEA.
Sblmbr, Tran.
tegistered Berkshires K,’.11 EA|E- ..wi
war* w"/' »™vas*W2
,atl<* and Stallion.
--- A 7 "*»”**, Ortmada. Mlm.
’(Hlf Ifafa [ pjfft from roal.tered
~ x rxsi »-t-s « fi^Bs
• • i» Winona, Mlaa.
urn guaranteed.