Breeding of farm animals / by Merritt W. Harper.

  • Harper, Merritt W. (Merritt Wesley), 1877-
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Breeding of farm animals / by Merritt W. Harper. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    INTRODUCTION The breeding of animals and plants is receiving much attention from the practical as well as the scientific man. This activity is due to a realization of the economic importance of plants and animals on the part of our foremost men of affairs. The well being, indeed the very existence, of man rests ultimately upon his ability to produce cultivated plants and domesticated animals in abundance. Possibly never before has any question at- tracted an interest so universal as that of the reproduc- tion of plants and animals, including man. While man makes economic use of many species of animals, this discussion is limited to that of breeding farm animals, including horses, cattle, sheep, swine and poultry, although other species occasionally may be used as illustrations and examples. Farm animals provide labor, food and clothing.—Few realize the extent of our dependence upon farm animals. The horse has fought our wars and won our battles and is our principal beast of burden. In connection with improved machinery, he has increased man’s productive power many fold. It is estimated that the horses of the United States are equal in productive industry to that of 100,000,000 laborers. In America, it is the horse that enables us to make farming an attractive business, rather than a peasant’s drudgery, as in many of the older nations of the world. In the United States, approximately one-half of the amount spent for food by the average family goes for the purchase of meat, eggs and dairy products. Our stand- ard foods are bread and potatoes, meat, milk and eggs, three of which are provided directly by farm animals, 1