J^INTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VII 285 
proportion of cases where it holds good. This accounts for the fact often 
observed that the offspring of a phenomenal cow are often disappointing 
However, it will be found that on the average there will' be more good 
animals among the offspring of such a cow than among those from a cow 
of moderate or low dairy capacity. We must always expect to find in- 
ferior animals appearing frequently in all herds. No breeder can pre- 
vent It but no good breeder fails to reject the inferior ones promptly 
when discovered. The higher developed we get our cows, the more diffi- 
culty we must expect in keeping them all up to the standard. 
In selecting a bull for a mixed herd or one of low dairy capacity 
any well bred bull of a dairy breed with good producing individuals be- 
hind him is certain to benefit the herd. Even for the grade herd the 
exceptional bull that will transmit qualities higher than the average 
of his breed is worth more than two or three inferior ones. 
There are two courses open to the man in selecting a herd bull. One 
is to buy a young bull on the strength of the records of his ancestors 
and trust to luck to a certain extent that he will be one that will trans- 
mit the desirable characteristics of his ancestors to a high degree As 
a rule such a bull will do fairly well at least in transmitting these char- 
acteristics. For the owner of grade cattle or herds of low dairy capacity, 
this method of selection does very well. 
In selecting a young bull the pedigree, including the records of an- 
cestors, is of as much or more importance than the individuality of the 
animal. The things to be looked for in the pedigree are first of all 
records of production by the female ancestors, especially the dam of the 
animal. 
There are some who refuse to have a bull from phenomenal record 
making cows for fear the vitality of the calf will be weakened. The 
majority of breeders, however, want the dam to have the highest record 
possible, other things being equal. We cannot expect more than a few 
of her close descendents will inherit this high quality but the chances 
are better for them to average up well than they would be from a cow 
of lower productive capacity. 
There is a general belief among breeders that the characteristics of 
the dam of the sire are transmitted stronger to his daughters than are 
the characteristics of any other female ancestor. This view has not 
been entirely demonstrated as yet but there is strong evidence pointing 
this way. Next in importance to the dam's record comes the records 
of the sire's daughters. If this bull has sired many high testing daugh- 
ters the chances are good his son will also transmit these characters 
Third in importance comes the grand dams and so on through the 
pedigree. 
It should be kept in mind always that it is much more important to 
have a good animal for parent than a noted animal back in the third 
or fourth generation. Breeders often speak of having a Golden Lad a 
Stoke Pogis, or a DeKol bull and when you examine the pedigree the 
animal mentioned is found in the. third or fourth generation, which 
means they consider the most important fact about the bull to be the 
614 or 1214 per cent of the blood of the noted bull he may carry. The 
close ancestors are the ones that count. 
