58 PROFITABLE DAIRYING 



In breeding up a herd it must be remembered that 

 the bull is half the herd. As a rule he is more than 

 that. The breeder should never allow a few dollars 

 difference to stand between him and the animal he 

 thinks will make a satisfactory head to his herd. If 

 he be financially able to do so, he will, of course, 

 stock up his herd with the breed of his selection ; but 

 if not, he will proceed to build up the herd. 



Having selected the breed best adapted to his pur- 

 pose, the dairyman will secure the best pedigreed bull 

 he can find one whose form and general make-up 

 stamp his as a getter of dairy stock. No greater 

 error can be made than to allow mere size to control 

 in his selection. As a rule, overgrowth is a mark of 

 lack of dairy quality instead of merit. Under its 

 appropriate head, " Dairy Form," this will be further 

 treated. He must select the best quality of cows he 

 can secure, native or otherwise, and upon them use 

 the bull selected. 



No bull should be used before he is sixteen or 

 eighteen months old. From the heifers of this get 

 the strongest and most promising (which does not 

 always mean the largest) are to be bred again to 

 their sire. The get of this cross may again be 

 crossed from the same bull if he has proved to be a 

 getter of good, vigorous stock. This latter get will 

 then be three-fourths blood. Many successful breed- 

 ers have made still another cross upon the same sire 

 with good results. I am aware that this advice is 

 contrary to generally accepted ideas of successful 

 breeding, and is branded as incestuous breeding. 

 This prejudice is purely a matter of sentiment and is 

 not founded upon fact. On the plains it is a well- 



