90 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 Feb., 1916. 



same amount of milk. If dairy type controlled the How of milk, then 

 all cows having tlie same type and consuming the same quantity of food 

 would yield equal quantities of milk. 



Under the influences of continual selection and feeding, the dairy 

 cow has made a marked and rapid change, and differs widely from the 

 original stock, and also from the purely beef breeds, both in type and 

 function. The more noticeable chracteristics are — {a) the angular or 

 wedge-shaped conformation; (h) extreme development of the body by 

 increasing its holding capacity. At best, the dairy cow can only con- 

 vert the nutrients in her food into the nutrients of milk, and to yield 

 a heavy flow of milk a large capacity for food is essential. For this 

 reason light, weedy, and herring-gutted animals are never profitable ; 

 (c) a stimulated activity of the udder as a specialized secretory organ. 

 All useful cows yield a greater amount of milk, and for a longer period 

 than is required" to rear a calf. 



A recognition of these facts is useful when purchasing, because it 

 provides a standard It does not guarantee that cows possessing these 

 attributes will be profitable, but only that with proper treatment they 

 may be so. It is interesting to note that in general these features are 

 common to good milkers. These characteristics constitute dairy type; 

 usually many other features, such as fine shoulders and withers, fine 

 neck and tail, &c., are associated, and at times too much value is given 

 to them. These are subsidiary and not essential features. When 

 general health is manifest, attention need only be directed to those parts 

 most intimately connected with milk secretion. Whilst a fine wither, 

 lengthy clean switch, fine head, and general symmetry are pleasing to 

 the eye, they dc not influence the milk secretion. The outstanding 

 characteristic of all heavy producers is the well -developed body. Nature 

 usually maintains a certain correlation of parts, and as the body or 

 " middle piece " of the dairy cow increases in response to the increased 

 activity of the udder, the two ends strengthen to support the added 

 strain resulting in a comparative coarseness, but the amount of milk 

 is not affected, whilst robustness is obtained. 



This is particularly noticeable in some of the finer strains of dairy 

 cattle. The robustness aud increased development of certain heavy 

 milking families is an outstanding feature in the evolution of the 

 special purpose dairy cow. 



The foundation of a dairy herd should be good roomy cows without 

 undue fleshiness. The heavy-fleshed cow costs more for maintenance 

 than the lighter, conditioned animal. Surplus flesh means increased 

 cost for maintenance without any additional return. 



The present-day dairy type is the result of certain influences. Two 

 methods which have greatly helped to this end are the use of the Bab- 

 cock tester and the use of dairy bulls from milking strains. The con- 

 tinued application of these will not only maintain the present standard, 

 but greatly improve it. 



The leading factor in the recent development of the special purpose 

 dairy cow was the introduction of the Babcock tester, which when used 

 conjointly with the spring balance provides a ready and correct means 

 of ascertaining the individual worth. It facilitated the process of selec- 

 tion and placed it on a safe monetary basis. It not only provides a 

 means of estimating the value of the cow, but also that of the bull by 

 recording the yield of his female ancestors, and then proving his worth 

 by showing the returns of his heifers. 



