Rural School Leaflet 



86 1 



The cows of the different breeds cannot always be distinguished by 

 color alone. Other characteristics, which have not been mentioned, may 

 need to be considered; but the color will enable us to determine the 

 breed in the great majority of cases. 



A Galloway cow 



n. THE BEEF TYPE AND THE DAIRY TYPE 



H. H. Wing 



Cattle are kept for two m.ain purposes: for the production of milk 

 and for the production of beef. These two purposes make quite differ- 

 ent demands on the vital energies of the animal. For this reason, by 

 selection through many generations of those animals, on the one hand, 

 that are best developed for meat production, and of those, on the other 

 hand, that give the largest amount of milk, there have arisen two types 

 more or less distinct in forni and certain other characters, one known 

 as the " beef form " or type, and the other known as the " milk form " 

 or type. 



It must not be supposed that these two types are entirely distinct 

 or separate, for the cows of the beef type always give some milk, and 

 animals of the dairy type will furnish beef of reasonably good quality 

 when properly fattened. Then, too, while the types may be readily 

 recognized in the best-developed individuals of either, there are a great 

 many animals of intermediate form that it would be difficult to assign 

 to either type, since the two types tend to merge into each other by very 

 gradual gradations. 



The chief differences in form that distinguish the beef and dairy 

 types are: 



I. In outline of body, especially as viewed from the side. 



