799 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



The twenty-one herds claBsed'aa "natives'' gave results as follows: 

 Ten herds snowed a loss ranging from 83 cents to $6.61 per cow, or 

 an average loss lor the ten herds of $3 per cow. 



The remaining 11 herds showed a gain ranging from $3.4G with* 

 the highest score in the one hundred herds, that of $37.85 per cow. 



So far as we can learn this herd was constructed and brought 

 to its present state of good profit by the owner being a good judge 

 of cows in purchasing, and following that up by a most excellent 

 understanding of how to care for and feed a cow after he got her. 

 Of course added to this was the process of elimination, or weeding 

 out of poor cows, which is one of the most important of all pro- 

 cesses connected with the management of a dairy herd. 



There does not appear to be any demonstration of breeding skill 

 on the part of this owner, nor could there well be considering that 

 he was dealing with a herd of native cattle, which derived their 

 heredity from the hit-or-ruiss practice of the average farmer. 



We can see, however, that this man would make a successful 

 breeder should he attempt it, for he evidently has a large amount of 

 what we might call "cow-sense" or understanding. 



At the outset, I spoke of temperament in cattle. A number of 

 years ago in reasoning on certain things that I found in my studies 

 in cattle-breeding, I was obliged to give a name to this element of 

 inherited tendency, which I called "temperament." 



The breeder, if he thoroughly comprehends the scope of his pur- 

 pose and work, is all the time striving to enlarge by skilful] mating 

 this element of temperament in every succeeding generation. If a 

 daiity animal is bred, he wants it more and more developed in this 

 direction through every successive mating. If a trotting horse or 

 a draught horse is bred, the same principle will apply. Without 

 this definite purpose of constant enlargement of the basic tempera- 

 ment, there can be no definite progress made in breeding. 



Therefore, we are wise if we study the power and limitations of 

 temperament. From it we will learn, never to unite or mate two 

 animals of opposing temperament or tendencj 7 . We must study as 

 much as possible, to enlarge the stream of temperament, not divide 

 or dissipate it. 



We must breed dairy temperament of an agreeing prepotency 

 together as much as possible. For instance, the Holstein has a 

 powerful prepotency tow T ards a large quantity of milk with a small 

 fat globule and a comparative low proportion of butter-fat. Those 

 traits are as strongly inherited as are its color. 



The Jersey and Guernsey families have just as strong an inherited 

 tendency or prepotency towards a smaller quantity of milk flow with 

 a much larger fat globule and a larger per cent, of butter-fat. 



Is it a good exercise of breeding skill to attempt to unite in one 

 animal such strong and widely dissimilar tendencies? Do they 

 usually nick well, and to the purpose of making a better cow there- 

 for? I think not. 



With the Aryshire cow and particularly the Aryshire grade, the 

 female comes so far this way from the rigid prepotent line as above 

 indicated, as to very successfully nick with the Jersey or Guernsey. 

 At least such has been the verdict of actual facts and experience 

 in such breeding. If I were to arrange these forces that we are 

 dealing with so constantly, and I may say many times so blindly, I 



