272 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



herd, for the animals of mixed breeding are largely the result of 

 frequent change of purpose. Suppose in this case, that the owner 

 has decided to go into the dairy business; that being the case, the 

 next thing to do will be to look over the herd of eighteen, and decide 

 which ones are so possessed of dairy type and characteristics, as to 

 warrant their being used in the business. They can be divided into 

 three classes, such as best, medium and inferior, from a dairy stand- 

 point. Then, in the majority of cases, it will be found to be a decided 

 advantage to send the six inferior ones to the block and use the re- 

 maining twelve for the foundation herd. Having selected the fe- 

 males to be retained, the next and one of the most important steps 

 is to decide upon the breed to be used in improvement. In this, 

 adaptability of the breed to the conditions, and the question of per- 

 sonal preference, are the two important factors; the decision of this 

 question is also an important factor, for a change of mind after the 

 work has begun, and the use of other blood, is more apt to result in 

 retrogression for a time, than improvement. Haying decided upon 

 the breed to be used for improvement, suppose it is the Holstein, 

 then purchase the best Holstein bull that the pocketbook will allow. 

 Mate this bull with the twelve selected cows, and use him for two 

 seasons, after which his progeny will be old enough to breed. At this 

 point secure another Holstein bull, a better one than the first if possi- 

 ble ; follow him with others of the same breed, indefinitely. Let it 

 be Holstein bull after Holstein bull, nothing but Holstein bulls. We 

 have cited the Holstein merely for the purpose of this illustration. 

 The same plan must be used, no matter what the breed is. 



We may expect, after a few top-crosses in upgrading, that the 

 progeny will resemble the type of sires used in improvement, quite 

 closely, both as to form and general characteristics ; in fact, so much 

 so that the high grade may eventually equal the pure blood improver 

 from a standpoint of utility in meat or milk making, as the case 

 may be. There is some question as to the number of crosses that 

 must be produced before this high standard of excellence will be se- 

 cured in the grade. This will be somewhat dependent on the dura- 

 tion of the purity of the improving blood, the prepotency of the indi- 

 vidual sires, and the plasticity of the common females. Instances 

 are on record where ideal high grades have resulted from the third 

 cross ; in general, one would be safe in counting on at least the fifth. 

 We must not, however, lose sight of the fact that while a high grade 

 may eventually equal the improving breed from a standpoint of 

 meat or milk making, that it can never be possessed of a pedigree, 

 nor equal the full bloods from a standpoint of prepotency in breed- 

 ing, this is the chief argument used against grade sires. 



The Grade Sire. Attention has been directed to the fact that 

 high grade animals may be eventually produced capable of equalling 

 those of the pure breed used in their improvement, insofar as meat 

 or milk production are concerned, but at the same time they can 

 never equal them in prepotency nor become possessed of pedigrees, 

 except in rare instances. So far as external form and indications of 

 quality are concerned, a high grade sire may look equally as good 



