STATE DAIRY ASSOCIATION. • 379 



to the substantial and steady improvement of our common farm stock. 

 How pleasant is the contrast where the new beginner falls into better 

 hands and makes his purchase from the conservative, practical breeder 

 of the useful common-sense sort. Real breeders will send out stock that 

 have the innate quality to do well. 



The more fortunate beginner takes home his purchase and it does 

 well from the start. This will be the case where the ancestors possess in 

 full measure the necessary qualities of the real improved class fed right 

 and nursed by its own dam. 



BEST MILKERS ARE BEST BREEDERS. 



Before quitting my subject I want to refer to one phase of it, which 

 is not included in the subject proper, but is suggested by it. I am expected 

 to show the necessity or need of the dual purpose, but some exclusive dairy 

 breeders seem almost to think such a cow cannot be bred. I have seen 

 men worked up to the conviction that such a theory is inconsistent, and 

 I have been surprised that so sensible a class could be so positive in error. 

 Really we are not confronted by a theory — you are confronted by the 

 cow herself. Such a cow exists and we have had her in a high degree 

 for a century. You have the general purpose horse, why not the dual 

 purpose cow ? You have a fine mutton and fine fleece in one, why not beef 

 and milk? The Thanksgiving turkey grows feathers with the flesh, and 

 the dual cow grows milk with the beef. While we have no text-book in 

 breeding, there is among the breeders of beef cattle one well-established 

 law — all four of the beef breeds will concede this: The best breeding 

 dams are the best milkers. In the breed with which I am identified I can 

 say knowingly, 7ve do not expect our high class shoiv cattle from poor 

 milkers. The two qualities seem inseparable. It is very fortunate such 

 is the case. If the opposite were true, the small farmer and the dual 

 purpose cow could not be so happily joined. 



DISCUSSION. 



Mr. Ellis — To start this discussion, I will say it seems to me there is 

 possibly a place for the dual purpose cow in Missouri at the present time. 

 Our farmers have been educated up to believe that the calf is the primary 

 thing in raising cattle and they have been wasting the milk, but they are 

 now saving the milk as a by-product of beef-raising. We have a great 

 many people in Missouri doing that. It seems to me the dual purpose 

 cow would answer that purpose very well. Of course, if I was going 

 into the dairy business, making that my whole business, I would want 



