DAIRY COWS. 219 



of cattle which, as an all-around dairy breed, is superior to any 

 other breed known. 



While the Holstein-Friesians are essentially a dairy breed 

 and are so regarded in America, yet as an all-around dairy breed 

 the matter of beef and veal must not be lost sight of, and in 

 Holland these»are very important points. There few cattle are 

 allowed to pass their seventh year; but before they pass out of 

 their prime they are fattened and sold as beef. Prof. I. P. 

 Roberts in speaking of Holstein-Friesian beef said: "I ate it 

 for three weeks, and the English beef for two; and while not so 

 fat as the short-horn, it was to my taste superior." The breed 

 reaches full growth and maturity at about five years of age; reach- 

 ing full height at between two and one-half and three years of 

 age, and each year for the two following years adding about one 

 and three-fourth inches in length, three-fourths of an inch in 

 width of hips, and two inches in girth of chest. Mr. S. Hoxie, 

 former Supt. of H.-F. Advanced Registry, states that the average 

 measurements of cows upwards of five years of age* received to 

 entry in the fourth volume of the Advanced Register were as 

 follows: "Height at shoulders, 51.8 inches; height at hips, 53 

 inches; length of body, 64.9 inches; length of rump, 21.4 inches; 

 width of hips, 21.9 inches; width at thurl, 19.6 inches; girth at 

 smallest circumference of chest, 75.6 inches." The average 

 weight of these cows was 1262 lbs., and the average measure- 

 ments are those of what might be deemed a typical animal of 

 what is technically knowti as the milk-and-flesh form of the 

 breed, the form most popular in America. 



The first association of breeders of these cattle in this country 

 was fonned in 1871, the first herd-book being published the 

 following year. The present Holstein-Friesian Association was 

 formed in 1885 by the union of two earlier associations, and is 

 now the largest association of breeders of pure-bred dairy cattle 

 in America. How many H.-F. cattle there are now living is 

 unknown; but since the juncture of the two old associations in 

 .18S5, over 180,000 females and 96,000 males have been recorded. 

 The H.-F. Advanced Rcgi:ler, based for entry upon individual 

 merit, was established in 1SS5; 2,^ volumes having been pub- 

 lished, containing entries of over 18,500 cows and 1300 bulls. The 

 age of any female is computed as that at the time of last calving 



