DAIRY COWS. 197 



authenticated instances of their (Shorthorns) giving six, 

 seven, eight, and even nine gallons a day, on grass alone, 

 in the height of their season, and yielding fourteen to 

 eighteen pounds of butter per week, and of holding out in 

 their milk in proportionate quantity, as well as other 

 breeds of cows, through the year. Cows so much larger 

 in size than other kinds should be expected to give more 

 than smaller ones that consume less food, and without as- 

 serting that they do give more, in proportion to their size, 

 it is claimed that when educated and used for the dairy 

 chiefly, they give quite as much as others. That the in- 

 herent quality of abundant milking exists in the Short- 

 horns, no intelligent breeders of them need doubt. Our 

 own observation in more than thirty years' experience 

 with hundreds of them, first and last, under our own eyes, 

 is to ourself evidence of the fact, both in thoroughbreds 

 and grades." 



The Columbian dairy tests, though made under un- 

 favorable circumstances, proved the milking qualities of 

 Shorthorns. I say unfavorable, because the matter was 

 not taken hold of soon enough by the American Short- 

 horn Breeders' Association, under whose auspices the ex- 

 hibit was made, to select the best cows in every instance 

 so as to have them bred to produce and have them at their 

 highest flow of milk at the proper time. As a conse- 

 quence, cows had to be picked up that had produced at 

 hap-hazard, and were not in every instance the best that 

 might have been used, if selections had been made in sea- 

 son to have them bred so as to have them produce just prior 

 to the tests. But with all these disadvantages, the two 

 strictly acknowledged dairy breeds — bred for that purpose 

 almost exclusively — which were selected with the greatest 

 care, so much so that it is doubtful whether they could be 

 duplicated, had but little the advantage of the Shorthorns in 

 the general '* round-up," as a few comparisons will prove. 

 In test No. i (cheese), with 25 cows of each breed, the 

 score stood as follows: 



Jerseys 906. i points 



Shorthorns 905.5 " 



Guernseys 871.9 " 



