220 AGRICUI.TURE OF MAINE). 



secure herds so uniform that what is good for one is good for 

 the others in the line of a ration, if you can have them of such 

 capacity that they will consume about equal quantities of those 

 things, it is a desirable thing for you ; and I beheve, gentlemen, 

 ii: can be done by breeding, but if you secure these results you 

 must breed in a certain line, practice what perhaps is known as 

 line breeding and not mate an animal which has no particular 

 line breeding but is simply a herd book animal, with your fe- 

 males in the same breed. In the latter case you have not inten- 

 sified the desirable characteristics you have. How to secure 

 these desirable characteristics I realize is a question that requires 

 a great deal of study. I am well aware that every farmer has 

 not the time, if he would, to solve these questions as they ought 

 to be solved ; but to those who do study them and reap results in 

 this direction I would say that you ought, at least, to have re- 

 spect enough for this work so that when you go into the herds 

 of this State or any other state, you will recognize the time and 

 the efifort which it requires to bring about these results. And 

 when you want to put an animal at the head of your herd, do 

 not be so afraid as the majority of the farmers of Maine are, of 

 paying a price that will give you results of which you will feel 

 proud, in the animals which you will raise from that representa- 

 tive of your herd. I have been a breeder of cattle for 30 years 

 and a breeder of thoroughbred cattle for 20 years, but I am not 

 talking because I want to sell, because I do not own any pure 

 bred cattle today; but I want to say that my experience in the 

 breeding of cattle teaches me that too much stress is laid upon 

 color markings and not enough upon the desirable qualities 

 which we as dairymen want our cows to have, — constitution, 

 capacity, longevity and production. 



