•23 Milk Records. 



other hand any plan which has for its object the improve- 

 ment of the milking qualities of our typical breeds should be 

 supported by all breeders of cattle. It will be noticed that the 

 Irish scheme for the improvement of dairy cattle coviples 

 "general appearance " with milk yields, and this combination 

 should be the aim of all breeders of dairy cattle. 



At the present time almost every breed of cattle in Great 

 Britain has its herd book, into which every animal is eligible 

 for entr3% so long as its parents are both registered, no matter 

 what faults it may have. In this way many inferior animals 

 are entered in herd books, which ought to be left out. To 

 prevent this, inspection before admission should be a condition 

 precedent in all herd book societies, although few of them 

 would now entertain such a proposal. 



With milk recording societies, when associated with cattle 

 registering societies, no such difficulty need occur. Registration 

 is only in its infancy with them, and if they are to do really 

 good work, " general appearance " equally with "milk yield" 

 should be taken into account. 



This is the practice in the island of Jersey — no heifer is 

 admitted into the island herd book until she lias produced a 

 live calf, and been inspected by the herd book judges, who only 

 accept those animals which are typical of the breed, have good 

 dairy points, shapely udders, and well-placed teats. Bulls have 

 to be shown with their dams before a number is given to them, 

 and no niatter how good looking a bull may be, if his dam is 

 wanting he will not be accepted. The forward position that 

 island-bred Jerseys take in the inspection classes at the leading 

 shows ia this country, is mainly attributable to this excellent 

 system. It may be thought that too much is being made of 

 this question of type. If the cattle competing in the milk yield 

 and butter test classes at the shows here are compared with the 

 corresponding exhibits in the inspection classes, the reasonable- 

 ness of these remarks will, I feel sure, be admitted. 



Inspection prizes such as are offered at the shows of the 

 Royal Dublin and Royal Ulstei- Societies, open to those cattle 

 whose milk records are sufficiently good to enable them to 

 compete, would do much towards improving the "general 

 appearance " of dairy cattle as they would demonstrate the 

 necessity of combining " type " witii " performance." There 

 is only one drawback to these classes, and that is where cattle 

 of different breeds have to compete against one another. As 

 a rule, however, the Dairy Shorthorn (which after all is the 

 cosmopolitan animal) is generally the most represented in such 

 a class, and therefore to confine the entry to cows of the 

 Shorthorn breed, or crosses with a Shorthorn, should not 

 be objected to. 



