260 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



FEEDING QUALITIES. 



Professor Carlyle, in his address, from which the above paragraph 

 is quoted, adds: "The Holsteins have this vitality and strength. 

 They have the great digestive and assimilative powers required for 

 the production of large quantities of milk from coarse, cheap fodder." 

 In 1864, John H. Klippart, then Secretary of the Ohio State Board of 

 Agriculture, was sent to Europe to study the agricultural methods 

 of its most progressive states. The King of Wurtemberg was then 

 deeply interested in the investigation of cattle breeds, and in the 

 formation of a new breed called the Koseustein breed. Large es- 

 tates were devoted to these purposes. The observations of Mr. Klip- 

 part in regard to these objects are found in the Ohio Agricultural Re- 

 port of 18G5. I quote from page 210. "But then the North Hol- 

 land races, (North Holland and Friesland cattle), were desirable 

 for the large calves they dropped and the early maturity of these 

 calves. During the period they were in milk, the cows appeared to 

 be in poor condition but they fattened rapidly when dry; so were 

 the oxen readily fattened. They, however, always required an ample 

 supply of food, but were by no means choice as to the quality of the 

 food, and as they readily crossed with the natives, they were selected 

 as one of the permanent races to be retained on the estate at Weil." 

 This estate was the one devoted to the formation of the new breed, 

 and this breed was used as its foundation. The conclusions I have 

 here quoted were arrived at, from forty-three years of careful scru- 

 tiny by highly qualified, and impartial investigators, studying at 

 the same time under their immediate care all the other leading 

 breeds. 



Under this head, allow me to again quote Professor Roberts. 

 "Somebody," he says, "away back in the dim past, laid down the 

 rule that 'animals consume food in proportion to their live weight,' 

 but seeing that this would never do, they immediately added, 'other 

 things being equal.' This amendment effectually annuls the rule, 

 for other things never are equal. Can anyone for a moment im- 

 agine that two twelve hundred pound well built Shorthorn cows 

 will consume as much as three coarse-headed, gothic-ribbed eight 

 hundred pound ones? The chances are that two of the smaller 

 ones would consume more than the two larger ones. From often 

 quoting this rule and giving little weight to the saving clause, we 

 are likely to be led into error. The truth is, animals never consume 

 food in proportion to their live weight. Age, conformation, inher- 

 ited constitution, and many other things, have a great bearing as 

 to the amount of food that is required for support. But it is un- 

 necessary to prove w^hat is a self evident fact to all. Believing as 

 I do, I can but recommend that the cow for the dairy be raised on 



