FOURTEENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART IV. 319 



a corn-belt state and sweep the Short-horn show, Iowa should be equally 

 versatile and give the Wisconsin breeders a "run for their money" at 

 the strongest Wisconsin dairy stronghold. 



CUEK^^SEYS. 



Four complete herds, besides a lone representative from a fifth ex- 

 hibitor, were entered at the Iowa State Fair this year, a pleasing con- 

 trast to last season when the Guernsey show was somewhat of a dis- 

 appointment to the lovers of this Channel Island breed of dairy cows. 

 C. L. Hill, president of the American Guernsey Cattle Club, who tied the 

 ribbons, found some exceedingly difficult classes to place, especially 

 among the young stock. The cows, while excellent in most respects, 

 were not so strong as they might have been, and these same exhibitors 

 will have to strengthen that department of their herds if they hope to 

 compete later against some of the crack eastern herds. Not quite ninety 

 head of cattle were lead into the ring. 



A newcomer in the American show ring. Marsh's bull. Imp. Hays 

 Cherub' 2d, a consistent winner across the "pond," easily captured the 

 senior and grand championships. He is an outstanding individual, clean 

 cut and alert, carrying himself well in and out of the ring. The Waterloo 

 breeder also showed the junior bull, Bopeep's Mar of Iowa, a worthy son 

 of the great Glenco's Bopeep. The champion cow, Glenwood's Hazel, and 

 the junior cow, Imp. Moreland Aquamarine, were also recruited from the 

 same herd. 



On the whole the stock showed great improvement in size and rugged- 

 ness without the sacrifice of quality. It has been pretty well proven 

 that the larger cows in a breed are the best producers, so if the Guernsey 

 men continue to breed for size they are likely to avoid the pitfall into 

 which another great breed fell. In one or two instances Judge Hill placed 

 animals second or third which would have been first had they been slight- 

 ly larger. The nervous, well-bodied, but refined individual seems to be 

 the goal towards which the breeders are working. 



JERSEYS. 



Considered as a whole, the Jersey show was disappointing. This does 

 not mean that no good animals were exhibited, but simply that the classes 

 were ragged, containing individuals that should have been sent to the 

 barns. Judge H. G. Van Pelt, of Waterloo, Iowa, expressed himself dis- 

 satisfied with some of the sixty animals led before him, commenting on 

 a lack of really outstanding Island "beauties" as well as the poor fitting 

 many had received. The Jerseys seem to be in danger of falling largely 

 into the hands of "fanciers," men of wealth who can obtain the best 

 show animals on the market. As a result, the really good Jerseys are 

 beyond the means of the farmer breeder; and until the farmer of the 

 middle West regains control of the breed, working ever towards more 

 ruggedness and perhaps greater milk production, the Jersey must remain 

 the plaything of the few. The friends of the- Jersey need not despair, 

 however, for within the last few years a few breeders with the courage 

 of their convictions have been showing animals of combined capacity 

 and quality. The whole question, hinges, of course, on the ever-present 



