248 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



he will purchase a pure bred bull, and in this way he will be 

 steadily working towards a pure bred herd. With any dairy- 

 man who intends to improve his herd by breeding, the selection 

 of the bull is of great importance. The bull is considered as 

 half the herd. Every calf that is added to the herd takes half 

 its blood from the bull and it is thought the most important 

 half. This is especially true if the dairyman is keeping grade 

 cows. A dairyman may have a cow that proves a poor dam 

 or fails to breed and the loss v/ill not be great, but if the bull 

 proves to be a poor sire a whole year's work is lost in the im- 

 provement of his herd. Considering these points in buying a 

 bull, one should buy the best, or at least, he should buy the best 

 he could possibly afford. When buying a bull one should not 

 only study the animal, but he should study the animal's pedi- 

 gree and the dairy history of his ancestors. Many dairymen 

 make a great mistake by using immature bulls and disposing of 

 them before they prove themselves, worthy as a sire. The chief 

 objection to bulls after they have become three or four years 

 of age is that they are dangerous to handle, but most bulls if 

 they are properly handled may be kept until they are too old 

 for service. The bull should be handled from a calf but should 

 not be plagued in any way. A ring should be put in his nose 

 before he is a year old. He should not be allowed to run loose 

 in a yard or pasture, but should be given regular exercise. If 

 any temper is shown the exercise should be increased. Do not 

 stable the bull in a lonely place but in the same room with the 

 rest of the herd. Always have him hitched by some double 

 hitching device so that he may never by accident find himself 

 loose. 



After the herd has been started the owner should become 

 familiar with the characteristics of each one of his cows. One 

 of the best ways is to keep records of each cow. These records 

 should include the history of every member of the herd and a 

 summary- of the dairy performances. The latter includes a 

 daily record of the milk yield of every member of the herd and 

 the test for butter fat which should be taken at least twice a 

 month. Some form of the Babcock tester is the simplest and 

 is now within reach of every farmer. To give the owner a 

 more complete knowledge of the work that his different cows 

 are doing, he should keep records of the food consumed by each 



