174 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



panied this loss of size, tliouph many liold to tliat view. It is rational 

 to assume that in unduly immature breeding some of the physiological 

 laws of nature must be violated, and this cannot occur without being 

 followed by some evil results. No fixed age can be given for the breed- 

 ing of heifers, it should be dependent on the rapidity and character of 

 the development of the individual. 



Illustration No. 2 represents an Ayrshire cow calved September 20, 

 1900. By the time this cow was thirty-seven mouths of age she had 

 produced her second calf. In October, 1903, this cow weighed but 

 718 pounds, when in about the same condition of flesh as that shown 



ILLUSTRATION NO. 2. 



in the illustration. Ten or fifteen years ago when dairy cattle were 

 not bred to produce at such early ages as at present, the average 

 weight of mature Ayrshire cows was about 1,000 pounds. 



CUOSS-BREEDING. 



A cross-bred is the ])rogeny of two distinct breeds. Though there 

 has been an indiscriminate mixing up cf the blood of various breeds, 

 cross-breeding in its strictest sense is not ])revalent, owing to the small 

 number of pure bred females in existence. The grades of the various 

 breeds, however, are crossed frequently. The practice has been stimu- 

 lated by sudden and somewhat prolonged fluctuations in market values; 

 a depressed dairy market leads to more or less crossing of beef blood 

 ui»on dairy tyi)es and vice versa; an increased price for the longer and 



