775 



to impress upon each and all is, to use only pure bred bulls in their 

 herds, and see that the bull is from a good milking strain, even it 

 one has to give a seemingly big price for him. His cost will be 

 nothing compared to the herd when the heifers begin to come in. 

 Let no one think when he commences dairying that lie- can go and 

 buy a good dairy herd right off. It may happen that a fair herd 

 can be purchased at a boiui-fidc clearing sale, but that is only a 

 chance in a lifetime. The probabilities are that if you arc a lair 

 judge of cattle about one out of every four you buv will be lit 

 to keep and rear calves from. The only sure way to get together a 

 really good herd is to breed it. You will have to buy the best you 

 can L-et to start with, then pick out your cows according to how 

 they turn out, and have the heifer calves from the best, and making 

 sure the bull is from a milking strain and pure bred. By doing this, 

 in a few years you can get together a really good herd, and, by 

 judicious culling, every year it will be improving and the average 

 yield gradually rising. The best investment that can be made for 

 the dairy farm is a good bull. Even with poor cows to start with, 

 no man need despair of getting a fair herd together if he can only 

 obtain a milking strain on the sire's side. It is then only a matter 

 of time and careful selection. 



THE CHANNEL ISLANDS CATTLE. 



Of these we have thn. e sub-varieties, viz., the Jerseys, Guernseys, 

 and Alderneys ; but they are often indiscriminately spoken of, and 

 in many shows are all shown under the name of Alderney. There 

 is a difference in them, more as regards colour in the case of 

 Jerseys and Alderneys, as in size and form they are the same, but 

 the Guernsey is a larger framed beast, and coarser in all its points, 

 and is seldom self-coloured, being generally fawn coloured, or 

 yellow, with patches of white. They get the credit of being 

 heavier milkers than the others, the mik being equally rich. They 

 are not often found outside the Island of Guernsey at present, as 

 mostly all breeders have gone in for the more graceful types found 

 in the other islands. 



For a great number of y^ars these cattle have been noted for 

 the richness of their milk and the fine quality of their butter, and 

 have been particular favorites for families keeping a cow lor their 

 own use, not only for their milking qualities, but also on account of 

 their quiet habits and h mdsome appearance. . It is a strange fact, 

 that of all cattle the cows of this breed are the most docile, and the 

 bulls the most wicked and uncertain in their tempers. Of late 

 years many herds have been established and kept pure both in the 

 United Kingdom and the United States for dairy purposes only, 

 and have returned very good results. The one great objection to 

 them is that as a rule they are more delicate and require more care 

 and attention than any of the other breeds. In Australia when on 

 good pasture they thrive and do well, and in many places are used 

 for crossing purposes to improve the quality of milk, and the young 



