THE DAIRY. 117 



the State Board of Agriculture have directed Prof. Johnson to procure two 

 calves of each of tlie leudiug breeds, of as near the same age and condition as 

 may be and feed them for three years, treating all alike, and at the end of that 

 time cotnpariiig results. 



Mr. Ball buiiig called upon, said: As to President Willits' question, why we 

 do not try to develop a native breed, I think he answered it partially himself. 

 The reason is that the object of breeding is profit. It is cheaper to buy im- 

 provements than to make them, and the breeds are already far advanced in 

 development. There is no use in going back to the bottom and working up 

 again from the beginning. Life is too short to try to make thoroughbreds 

 from natives. It is hard for any man to handle common cattle because they 

 are disagreeable to look at, unprofitable to feed, unprofitable to keep and do 

 not do anybody any special good. Now, so far as the imported cattle being 

 better than the cattle of this country is concerned, it is not true; people im- 

 port cattle as they import anything else, to make a great noise about it; to get 

 a high-sounding pedigree; also, perhaps, to make money out of it. That our 

 common cattle have been improved by importations of foreign cattle is true, 

 but the time for that has gone by. It is not necessary now to go Great 

 Britain or anywhere else. We have the very best. AVe have exported a large 

 number of improved cattle to England of late years. It works backwards and 

 forwards. Every farmer should take the best he has and use the best sires he 

 has access to, whether Hereford or Shorthorn. 



THE DAIRY. 



BY GEORGE SINCLAIR. 

 [Read before the Hudsonville Institute, Feb. 3, 1886.] 



This subject is one in which much capital is invested, and to make the busi- 

 ness pay one has to give it the closest study. 



1. We have the eow. She must change the feed into milk. The cow may 

 be compared to an engine and the feed to the fuel. Now, if the engine has 

 only enough fuel to overcome friction you get no power, or if you use the fuel 

 to overcome the friction in two machines which could be used in one you lose 

 time and fuel, but if you use this in one machine you realize a profit. The 

 same with a cow. We are told that it takes two-thirds of what a cow eats to 

 sustain the system, one-third to produce the milk. The less a cow has to 

 travel to get her feed the greater amount of milk per pound of feed. 



I have thought many times when I have seen cows hurried by men, boys and 

 dogs whether the owner ever considered the cost. 



2. The feed and surroundings. 



The cow is like a filter. If you over tax it by giving poor feed you soon 

 wear it out; besides producing a poor article of milk, butter and cheese. 



I believe the seeds of poisoned cheese are sown in letting the cow drink stag- 

 nant water, eat fermented food, or breathe foul air. This much we do know, 

 that the best grades of milk products are made where the feed, water and air 

 are of the purest. 



