134 



Journal of Agriculture. 



[lo March, 1909. 



Very noticeable, indeed, is rhe deterioration which results from the 

 use of an inferior bull in those cases where the farmer has succeeded in 

 getting together a herd of fairly good well-bred cows. If the bull used 

 is not from pure-bred dairy stock, the heifers from these cows are in- 

 variably inferior to their mothers, both in type and milk production. As, 

 however, three to four years must necessarily elapse before the progeny 

 of such a mating show their want of quality as milkers, even if the error 

 is then corrected, the dairyman has practically wasted those years by allow- 

 ing his herd to deteriorate when he might have been improving it. 



Almost on a par with the user of the cross-bred bull is the dairyman 

 who, while using pure-bred bulls, varies the breed he uses from time to 

 time, and thus consistently " mongrelizes " his heifers. The whole in- 

 tent of using pure-bred bulls is to strengthen and perpetuate the dairying 

 qualities of the herd by the repeated addition of pure blood to it from 



RESULT OF CROSS BREEDING. 



one reliable breed. By this means the grade of the herd is raised in each 

 generation of heifers, till in time it should tecome almost indistinguishable 

 from a pure-bred herd. The only reason for advocating this grading up 

 of a herd instead of starting with pure-bred cows right from the outset is 

 that it is less expensive. It is, therefore, the more capable of being carried 

 to a successful issue by the man of small capital. Very few dairymen 

 can at the start buy pure-bred stock solely. The alternative is for each 

 to make the best of such cows as can be obtained. This can only be done 

 by following on the lines of pure breeding. Where an occasional cow or 

 heifer of good dairying quality and of the same breed as the bull that is 

 used can be added to the herd, improvement will be so much the quicker ; 

 but in any case satisfactory progress can be depended on by adopting the 

 grading-up process. If, however, a change is made in the breed of the 

 bulls used, exactly the same result will be obtained in the progeny of the 

 second animal as if a cross-bred bull had been used in the first instance. 



