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Wisconsin Dairymen's Association / Tenth annual report of the Wisconsin Dairymen's Association : held at Sheboygan, Wis., January 11-13, 1882. Report of the proceedings, annual address of the president, and interesting essays relating to the dairy interests
(1882)
Curtis, T. D.
Dairying in the northwest, pp. 100-105
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Page 104
14 WiscoxsN Dunyxgx's Amocinoxr. With this exception, all the breeds in this county are of foreign origin, and not as well adapted to our needs as native breeds should be. I hope to live to see American breeds adapted to Now England, to my own state, to the great northwest, to the Kentucky blue grass region, and other sections. But whoever goes into tbe origination of new breeds must have a level head on his shoulders, and begin with a proper selection. He must continue to select, so as to breed up and not breed down, otherwise he may produce a deteriorated breed instead of an im- proved one. But this system of proper selection, so a not to couple weak and undesirable points, is just as necessary in breed- ing crosses or grades as inbreeding pure-bloods. Neglect of this is what has mongrerized sad degraded our so-called " native stock," which sprang from the best animals that the pioneer immigrants could find to bring with them. This same neglect is degrading much of the pure-blood stock in the country, the breeders being too mercenary and anxious to breed numbers to sell, instead of try- ing to make improvement in breeding by judicious selection based on merit. Some of the importers and breeders lack the judgment and skill necessary for successful breeding. Much of the prejudice against inbreeding -which for manifold reasons is not applicable to mankind-will soon wear away when the facts and principles of breeding are more consid- ered and better understood. The brute creation are without sentiment or moral qualities, and in a natural state inbreed and mongrelize just as it happens. It is the business of man to intel- ligently couple them so as to develop and perpetuate the most desirable qualities. This has been done in England, and aside from deductions drawn from general principles, the example of Mr. Cole, which I have referred to, shows that it can be successfully done in this country. MI1XUD HUSBANDRY. I wish to strongly commend the system of mixed husbandry into which you are rapidly getting. I would also urge upon you the importance of encouraging all kinds of manufactures and the building up of your home markets. A distant market is always a precarious one, and its precariousness is enhanced by the increase of distsnce. The risk and cost of reaching it are also great and increased by an increase of distance. With a manufacturing pop- 104
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