Southern planter - The W&M Digital Archive

1908.] THE SOUTHERN" PLANTER. 21
THE
THE REDUCTION SALE OF
SALE IN PROGRESS.
many of the prominent men of 'the State. It has seldom
Live Stock at the Agricultural College and
Station, Blacksburg, Virginia.
Experiment
been our pleasure to attend a more pleasant and social
Convention than the Thanksgiving dinner on the occasion
Editor Southern Planter:
The last two issues of the Southern Planter have
contained advertisements and very complimentary announcements
of the Reduction Sale of the surplus purebred
stock of the Agricultual College, Blacksburg. This
sale occurred the day before Thanksgiving, just as our
December issue was going to press, therefore, a report
of it was not made. We are now pleased to make a gen-
eral report of this initial effort on the part of the Virginia
Agricultural College to disperse her surplus from
the herds of pure-bred cattle and Berkshire swine.
In the first place, we desire to call attention to the
fact that preparation for this sale was ideal and embodied
all the features of the up-to-date popular auction of
blooded stock. Complete preparations were made for
seating the crowd, with the usual sale ring and other
features advantageous to the rapid and systematic selling
of stock. Every animal had a number on it correspond-
ing to the number in the catalogue of the pedigrees of the
animals sold. That splendid auctioneer, Col. H. L. Igle-
heart, of Kentucky, was head autioneer, assisted in the
ring by Cols. Roy P. Duvall, of Stephensons, Va., and
Byrd Anderson, of Blacksburg, Va. The sale was very
largely attended by the best farmers and breeders of the
State, numbering about 400. The advantages of such an
attendance—very largely of men who had never visited
the Virginia Agricultural College or been in any kind of
touch with it before—is evident to all.
After a short address of welcome by the President, Dr.
Barringer, remarks by Dr. Walter J. Quick, who suc-
ceeded Professor Soule, and also short talks by Cols. Igle-
heart and Duvall, the sale began with the former in the
box.
The selling commenced with the Berkshires at 10 A. M.
They numbered forty-five, and were sold within two hours,
after which .adjournment was had for one hour to partake
of the magnificent Thanksgiving spread presented by the
V. P. I. to the farmers in attendance, among whom were
of the V. P. I. Reduction sale at the barns of the Agricul-
tural College Farm. The implements had been moved out
of the way and in their stead, on the large implement floor,
were spread the tables f®r the accommodation of the
sale guests. It presented a magnificent opportunity for
meeting of old friends, renewing and extending acquaint-
ances, and exchanging ideas relative to stock breeding,
care and management, and we earnestly believe that this
occasion is one that can be repeated to the mutual advantage
of the farmers and the Agricultural College. There
can be no more ideal way of disposing of the surplus
increase of the ten or twelve herds and flocks now owned
by the Institution for the very commendable purpose of
educational instruction and experimentation, now so large
that the increase will make a very creditable one-day sale
each year. The time selected for this sale has certainly
been ideal, and should come to be known as a time for
the annual gathering of farmers and stock breeders at
the V. P. I., and an occasion for thanksgiving on the part
of all concerned.
But as to the results of the sale, the Berkshires, selling
before noon, made an average of almost $20, which is cer-
tainly not bad when the fact is taken into consideration
that nearly all were pigs of April, May and June farrow.
They were certainly a magnificent lot—not a bad animal
in the whole farrowing. Only five head were yearlings.
Nearly every one seemed wel^ pleased, the more so as
the day advanced, and each studied his purchases of the
forenoon.
In the afternoon all were filled with hearty good cheer
and re-assembled ait the sale ring for the dispersion of the
Holstein-Friesians, Jerseys and Shorthorns. The sale
commenced with No. 4, a young Holstein cow, with a baby
at foot that had just appeared on the scene the morning
of the sale. Bidding was lively, and even spirited, from
the first. This number brought $135, and went to the bid
of Dr. Charles G. Cannaday, of Roanoke, Va., who pur-
chased several others and had the honor of topping the
Holstein part of the sale, as he had also done on the occa-