158 Thiety-Sixth Annual Report of the 



done by special breeding, i do not mean 1)}- ihis that everybody 

 should invest in thorong-hbred stock when building- u^) a herd, 

 as this is a luxury usually intended for the rich, or men who have 

 special means of advertising. Where a full blooded sire is used 

 with a grade, the first cross is more than a half, the second cross 

 would be 75 percent, and the third 87^ percent, and the fifth 

 would certainly be a full blood. In selecting a sire, it is best to 

 get one from a good milking strain ; not only the parents but 

 the grandparents should be considered. 



There has been a lot of discussion in late years about the 

 merits of the so-called dual purpose cow and the special dairy 

 type. My state is one of the strongest dual purpose cow states 

 m the Union. This is due to the fact that corn is our principal 

 crop, consequently beef production is a very essential thing. 

 Notwithstanding that we make more butter than any state in the 

 Union, dairying has been carried on somewhat as a side issue. 

 So the cow that raises a good calf and gives a large flow of 

 milk is the one most favored by the majority of our farmers. 

 The whole question of dual purpose and special dairy type de- 

 pends on locality. The dairy breeds are more popular in our 

 state now than they have been for ten years. I presume the 

 reason is that niany persons trying to breed the so-called dual 

 purpose cow have produced animals that did not belong to 

 either type. There is possibly more money to be made in ex- 

 clusive dairying- than in any other agricultural pursuit, but every 

 man is not intended for a dairyman. The man who makes a 

 success in any line of work must have a liking for his business. 



Two years ago I visited the famous herd of Jerseys owned 

 by Mr. Ladd, the multi-millionaire of Portland, Oregon. Three 

 of his cows were leaders at the World's Fair. It is Mr. Ladd's 

 ambition to own the best herd of dairy cattle in the world. I 

 had the pleasure of visiting his estate and herds, accompanied by 

 himself. He has about 100 Jersey and Guernsey cows, mostly of 

 the former breed. What surprised me the most was the detailed 

 record kept of every cow, and the general knowledge that Mr. 

 Ladd possessed concerning each individual cow, notwithstanding 

 his busy life as a successful banker. He keeps in close touch 

 with every detail of the farm. When walking up and down the 

 aisles of his magnificent dairy barn, he gave me a detailed record 

 of each cow from memory. Hence I was not surprised to see 

 Ladd's herd come to the front at St. Louis, as he is thoroughly in 

 love with his business. 



I have not time to take up the question of feeding, but I 

 will give you the method pursued by one of the most successful, 

 practical dairymen in our state. I refer to Ex-State Dairy Com- 

 missioner Norton of Cresco, la. He does not select any one 



