324 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 June, 1919. 



From the results of numerous feeding trials whieh have been con- 

 ducted, the following feeding formula has been developed. In practice 

 it has given very satisfactory results : — 



(1) Under normal circumstances the cow should be fed all the 

 hay, silage, or roughage that she will eat up clean. 



(2) The grain or concentrate ration should be adjusted to the 

 milk production. 



(3) The grain or concentrates should be fed in the proportion 

 of 1 lb. to each 3 lbs. of milk produced, except in the case of cows 

 giving over 4 gallons, in which case 1 lb. of grain should be given 



. for each 4 lbs. of milk. A better plan is to give 1 lb. of concen- 

 trates each day for every pound of butter fat that the cow pro- 

 duces during the week. 



(4) Feed all that the coav will respond to in milk production. 

 If she begins to put on flesh, cut down the grain ration. 



Breeding of Dairy Cattle. 



One important lesson forced on the visitor to America is the recog- 

 nition of the value placed by American breeders on outstanding animals 

 for the improvement of their dairy herds. High producing cows or 

 bulls from dams vs^ith high milking records sell for what would be 

 regarded here as fabulous prices. Last year a six-months-old bull was 

 sold for over £20,000. Pure-bred animals with a good milk production 

 •record, which would realize perhaps a few hundred guineas in Australia, 

 would bring several thousands in the States. As I shall attempt to 

 show, the enormous prices paid for animals of outstanding merit are, in 

 many cases, justifiable. 



Breeding of high-class dairy cattle is both a science and an art. 

 Until recent years it vs^as merely an art. But fundamental studies in 

 the principles of heredity have increased the proportion of science, and 

 the future cattle-breeders will use more scientific principles than the 

 breeders who have preceded them. Dairy cattle-breeding may be 

 grouped under two heads — (1) Breed improvement; (2) herd improve- 

 ment. The individual dairyman is, of course, most interested in herd 

 improvement. His chief concern is to secure a greater return from his 

 cattle for the labour he expends. In the long run, whatever makes for 

 herd improvement must react f6r permanent breed improvement. 



The outstanding breed improvements are usually due to great strides 

 made by master breeders in their own herd improvement. 



According to Galton's law, one half of the characteristics of the 

 individual come from the male and his ancestors, and the other half from 

 the female and her ancestors. Since, in most herds, only one bull is 

 used, and he is mated with all the cows, one half of all the characteristics 

 of the heifers that are raised come from the sire. This has resulted in 

 the well known and popular statement that the sire is half the herd. 

 The facts are that certain excellent sires are more than half the herd; 

 likewise, certain extremely poor ones are more than half the herd. In 

 other words, they are pre-potent sires, either for good or for bad. 



One of the best illustrations of this simple fact is furnished by a 

 study of the Jersey herd at the University of Missouri. This herd was 

 established from four registered Jersey cows in 1S84, and a herd bull 



