76 The Bulletin. 



It is, furthermore, of importance to remember that a herd cannot be suc- 

 cessfully built up unless the bulls that are successively used belong to the 

 same breed. If the grading up is begun with a Jersey bull the process must 

 be continued uninterruptedly by the use of Jersey blood. 



The importance of the dairy sire is recognized in the expression, "The bull is 

 half the herd." Usually, however, the bull is more than half the herd, either 

 for good or bad. In the case of common or grade cows, for example, the pure- 

 bred bull may count for three-quarters or more of the herd, by reason of his 

 greater prepotency. To so great an extent does the bull determine the im- 

 provement or deterioration of the herd as to call for the utmost caution in his 

 selection. 



In the case of a dairy bull, especially a young bull, his chief value is deter- 

 mined by the performance of his ancestry. The points of greatest importance 

 to consider in his pedigree are the following: (1) the merit of his mother and 

 his sire's mother; (2) the merit of the daughters of his sire and grandsire; 

 (3) the value of the daughters of his dam and his granddam ; (4) the value 

 of his sisters, if he has any; and (5) the value of his own progeny, if he has 

 any. 



The further back consecutively good records can be traced the more valuable 

 the animal. It should always be remembered, however, that near ancestors 

 count for a great deal more than those more remotely related. 



SELECTING THE BEST CALVES. 



With a first-class bull at the head of the herd, rapid improvement is effected 

 by selecting and retaining calves from only the best milkers, at the same time 

 culling out those cows whose records have not been satisfactory. This work 

 cannot be done to best advantage unless records are kept of the quantity and 

 quality of milk from each cow for a whole lactation period. 



buying cows. 



Where all of the cows in the foundation stock are grades, none of the 

 calves, of course, can be registered. It is desirable, therefore, to add to the 

 herd from time to time, as means permit, some good pure-bred cows of the 

 same blood as the bulls that have been used. This has the advantage of 

 enabling the owner to dispose of his calves to better advantage. 



The purchase of cows, however, is always attended with the danger of 

 introducing contagious diseases into the herd, especially tuberculosis and con- 

 tagious abortion. For this reason the purchasing of cows should be carried 

 on in a limited way only. It is, of course, always in order to buy cows when 

 the object is to add to the herd pure-bred individuals of exceptional dairy 

 merit. But the practice of buying cows should never be carried to the point 

 of making it the principal means of replenishing the herd, especially since 

 the latter can be accomplished much more satisfactorily by raising the calves 

 from the best cows. 



CORN CULTURE. 



By R. W. SCOTT, of Alamance County. 



Corn being one of the most important crops the farmer raises, both for his 

 family and his animals, and being a crop that is grown in every section of 

 the State, I wish to try to get you more interested in its cultivation. 



Do we need to give more attention to the corn crop? I think so. Why? 

 Because corn is selling from 90 cents to $1.25 per bushel, and we are annually 

 sending thousands of dollars out of the State for corn that should be pro- 

 duced at home. There are few counties that produce corn suflficient for their 



