728 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



the Badger state breeders provide, for in their herds are to be found 

 some of the best and most typical specimens of the breed. Although 

 but three herds, two from Wisconsin and one from Iowa, were shown, 

 the display was of an exceedingly high order and about as representative 

 as could possibly be assembled. Nevertheless, the judge, Wm. Forbes, 

 of the United States Dairy Division, found himself confronted in each 

 class with the task of making his selections from among animals which 

 represented two distinct types, one of the more old-fashioned sort, 

 exceedingly large of frame, and the other more refined and, based upon 

 the standards commonly accepted for dairy animals, exhibiting greater 

 dairy temperament. At one time the breeders endeavored to make the 

 Brown Swiss a dual-purpose breed, but that is no longer their ideal. 

 On the contrary, the economical production of milk and butter fat 

 is singled out by them as the chief characteristic of the breed. They 

 contend that theirs is a breed unusually strong in constitution and 

 therefore able to bear up under the heavy strain incident to milk and 

 butter fat production. Among the males none appealed to the judge 

 more than did Zell, a five-year-old son of Junker, which has had a 

 brilliant show career at the Iowa and Minnesota State Fairs and at 

 the National and International Dairy Shows in 1911. Upon neither 

 circuit has he shown in the smoothest of form, but he is a grand show 

 bull and in addition has proven an unusually good sire. Of the younger 

 bulls, Casper Delta, shown by the lone Iowa exhibitor, proved a worthy 

 but by no means dangerous competitor of the old campaigner. Cuma, 

 although dry, won premier honors among the cows and in doing so 

 first had to eliminate Allyn's Arlene, a nicely-modeled matron. The 

 older cow, however, had the massiveness and the scale, which gave 

 her the decision. Myone Baby, the champion of the 1911 Brown Swiss 

 showing at Des Moines, was retired to third position upon her first appear- 

 ance, but the three-year-old heifer, Betty of Allynhurst, led out by the 

 same exhibitor, fared better. A stable mate, Bella Ro.sita, was made 

 the grand champion because of her superior quality and general con- 

 formation. The groups were a choice assortment throughout and were 

 to a large extent bred by the exhibitors, which fact made the excellent 

 display all tlio more noteworthy. 



HOLSTEINS. 



lowans who admire "black and white" cattle were very much encour- 

 aged by the manner in which their breed was represented at Des 

 Moines last week. Three Iowa exhibitors were assisted by a Wisconsin 

 breeder in providing a display which, in some respects, was classed by 

 many as one of ^ the best ever presented to a corn-belt audience. The 

 aged classes, while well filled with animals of a very useful sort, were 

 not as noteworthy as several of the younger strings. This, however, is 

 a most encouraging prospect. It proves conclusively that the breeders 

 are making steady progress and it augurs well for their future success. 

 Although in the very heart of the corn belt, dairying is becoming morQ 



