38 THE JERSEY, ALDERNEY AND GUERNSEY COW. 



no Statistics on which to base positive assertions con- 

 cerning it. 



" Neither is it possible to fix an absolute standard as 

 to the most profitable daily quantity of milk. All that 

 we can do is to watch vigilantly every circumstance that 

 may tend to augment or decrease the performance of 

 any desirable function. As a broad proposition, the 

 sole office of the yersey cow is to pi^oduce the largest pos- 

 sible amount of rich and higJily colored cream from a 

 given amount of food. Everything else in connection 

 with the breeding of the race is, or should be, incidental. 

 Beauty of form and beauty of color are, of course, de- 

 sirable, but no wise breeder will give these features 

 more than a secondary position. If they can be secured 

 without detracting from economic value, they are most 

 desirable ; but if in seeking them we lose sight of the 

 chief aim, we not only do injury to our own interests, 

 but permanently detract from the average value of the 

 whole race. 



" The question of size is, doubtless, of great import- 

 ance, but there is no positive knowledge to guide our 

 decision concerning it ; at least I am aware of no experi- 

 ments that do more than to indicate which is the wisest 

 course to pursue. So far as uncertain indications are 

 to be relied on at all, they seem to point to medium size 

 as the most desirable. Further experiments as to the 

 advanta<Te or disadvantage of laro^e size are needed. 

 Certain aro^uments in favor of the smaller size are 

 worthy of consideration. In the case of pure breeding, 



