lo Aug., 1908.] The Breeding of the Dairy Cow. 457 



is not the best dairv cow in Mr. Woodmason s dairy herd, as will be seen 

 l)\ looking at illustration No. 6, which shows a very fine herd of over 

 60 Jersey cows that an}' man might well be proud of — they are true to 

 type with robust constitutions, and are good at the pail. 



The dairymen of the Jersey and Guernsey Islands set a good example 

 to the rest of the world in the way thev guard the purity of blood in 

 their cattle. As far liack as 1789, a law was passed in Jersey, making 

 it unlawful to import anv living cattle into the island. Heavy fines 

 were imposed on the importer, the ^"essel, and even the sailors who 

 ■aided in such importation. It is just this jealous regard for the 

 puntv of blood in their cattle that has sent all the world to these islands 

 for them. Contrast this wise policy with that of the Victorian dairy 

 farmer who is not content until he can pack all known breeds into the 

 skin of one animal, with the result that he has neither special purpose, 

 nor dual purpose, but a no purpose cow. It simply shows what a lot 

 ■we have to learn in regard to successful breeding. 



Feeding. 



Hand in hand with the selection and breeding of dairy cows is the 

 question of proper feeding. Dairy cows, no matter how good they 

 may be at the pail, if they are not fed to stimulate their productive 

 capacity, will not produce profitable returns. The old rule of thumb 

 practice of the average farmer in confining the cows strictly to the pro- 

 ducts of the pastures for their sustenance will have to become a thing 

 ■of the past if dairying is to be carried on .successfully. Hand feeding 

 must l:e resorted to and preparation made to consen^e abundance of suc- 

 culent nutritious food for the dain' herd during the dry months by the 

 aid of the silo. This is imperative, for with the natural pastures as 

 the only supply of food, milking cows suffer in constitution during bad 

 -seasons. If this trying condition is continued and practised, emaciation 

 of the body is a natural consequence. Heavy milkers under these trying 

 ■conditions become seriously injured, as more digestive food will be con- 

 verted into the milk at the cost of their vitality. The constitution be- 

 ' comes weakened, and functional derangement and disease of the organ.'; 

 follow, brought about by sheer starvation. The progeny is also en- 

 dangered if the cow is in calf, as it is deprived of the nutriment and 

 support which should be obtained from a well nourished mother to lay 

 the foundation of a good constitution and a profitable milker. 



Dairy farmers are often led astray regarding the result of feeding 

 and the effect it has on the return of milk produced. A cow when 

 freshly calved, if low in condition, will generally respond to a system 

 of judicious feeding and care, and the quantity of her milk will increase 

 in ^-olume, especially if the feed she has been accustomed to is de\-oid 

 of the necessary proteid constituents and moisture ; this increase will, 

 . however, only continue until such time as she builds up her system and 

 l)ecomes properh- nourished. After the cow becomes well nourished and 

 reaches her highest attainments, there appears to be no method of feeding 

 that will raise the standard of her milk to a still higher degree. Anv 

 food taken into the system up to this point and not utilized for the pro- 

 duction of milk, will l;e used for forming fresh flesh or be excreted. 



The weighing of each cow's milk and the use of the Babcock tester 

 will enable the dairyman to discriminate between good and bad cows, 

 those not paying their way and those being milked at a profit. There 



