State Dairy Association. 285 



Q. In your opinion, what grade of dairy cattle is best adapt- 

 ed to the Ozark region? 



A. I don't think it makes any particular difference, so long 

 as they are adapted to our local conditions, I think that dairying 

 there, as well as everywhere else, should be done with a dairy 

 breed of cattle, and the particular breed should be a matter of 

 individual taste. I think that a certain community should all breed 

 the same breed of cattle until they get a sufficient number of that 

 breed to create a market for that class of cattle, and it would re- 

 sult in benefit to the individual — by having a large number of one 

 breed practically all together, so that a buyer could find in that 

 locality what he wanted. 



Mr. Hughes — I asked the question because we are thinking 

 of buying some dairy cows. 



A. I would not hesitate to bring any breed into your region, 

 the conditions are favorable to all of them, but for dairy purposes 

 I believe in dairy cows. If I were a rural mail carrier I would 

 not want a 1,600 pound Percheron horse to carry the mail; and 

 in dairying I would not want a 1,500 pound beef cow to dairy with. 

 I believe that a dairy cow should be used because she has been 

 bred for that purpose, and we must either recognize the fact that 

 the dairy cow is better for dairy purposes than the beef animal, or 

 else we must acknowledge that there is absolutely nothing in 

 breed. If nothing had been accomplished in all these years in 

 breeding dairy cows, then we would need to quit breeding them; 

 but things have been accomplished in that line the same as in 

 other lines. 



Q. Some people think that the largest cows are best for dairy- 

 ing. Did you not say that you were opposed to size, if other con- 

 ditions were right? 



A. I don't care whether she is large or small, just so she 

 measures up to the Babcock test. As a general proposition, no 

 matter what breed you have, you will find that 50 per cent of the 

 cows that are best are those of a medium to slightly large build. 

 A small cow is not apt to be as good at the pail as one that is 

 medium size. 



