State Dairy Association. 383 



of the ancestors are of first consideration. In buying a Dull of any 

 age, of course, we require an animal of good conformation, strong 

 vitality and constitution and good breed characteristics. In buy- 

 ing a young bull, I want one from a cow medium too large for the 

 breed. She must have been a regular breeder, and a cow of strong 

 constitution and vitality. She must have a well-developed, symetri- 

 cal udder and teats, and a large official year's milk and butter test. 



While most dairymen favor the selection of a young bull as a 

 herd bull, there always is the uncertainty about how he will trans- 

 mit the dairy characteristics. There is a more certain but more 

 difficult way to get a bull that will transmit the desired character- 

 istics. This is to get an old tested bull, one who has sired daugh- 

 ters of merit, and showed himself to be the exceptional animal 

 wanted by every breeder. 



The most skilled breeders, are always on the lookout for such 

 an animal, but many are never discovered, and many others only 

 after it is too late. Whenever possible, it is always advisable to 

 retain an old bull until the results of his breeding can be ascer- 

 tained. Then, if not satisfactory, the sooner he is gone, the better; 

 but there is always a chance of finding a bull like Missouri Rioter 

 3rd, previously mentioned. 



The wonderful prepotency of Stoke Pogis 3rd was not recog- 

 nized until he had been sold for beef. Hengerveld De Kol, the great 

 Holstein bull, that recently died, on the other hand, was retained 

 until it was discovered he was one of the great bulls of the breed, 

 and, as a result, was sold for $1,500.00 at nine years of age for 

 breeding purposes. 



One of the great unnecessary losses among dairymen is the 

 sacrifice of the bulls when they are mature and at their best. The 

 average dairyman buys a young bull, uses him two or three years, 

 and offers him for sale without waiting to learn of the quality of 

 his daughters. His neighbor, instead of buying the old bull, buys 

 a young one, and the older one that may be worth a fortune to the 

 community is sold for beef, while the neighbor is experimenting 

 with the young one. 



There is one danger connected with the aged bull that should 

 be understood and guarded against. This is the introduction of 

 contagious abortion. If I had a valuable herd free from this 

 disease, I would exert the greatest precaution about introducing 

 an aged bull. If I was not entirely satisfied on this point, I would 

 select the young calf which is safe from abortion, even if coming 

 from a herd where the disease exists. 



