274 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



is isolated, he is frequently neglected to a greater extent than any 

 other animal on the farm. Too many bulls are fed irregularly and 

 improperly, and confined constantly for long periods in small dark 

 filthy box stalls; these conditions are not conducive to good breeding 

 qualities. 



There are some decided advantages in purchasing mature bulls. 

 One of the greatest of these is found in the fact that the buyer can 

 ascertain something relative to the character of their get ; this is most 

 important to the breeder of dairy stock. Another advantage arises 

 from the fact that there is always more or less uncertainty regarding 

 the future development of the bull calf, while this factor is entirely 

 eliminated in the purchase of a mature sire. It is also not unreason- 

 able to conclude that a mature sire will beget more vigorous off- 

 spring, especially because the young ones are frequently used to ex- 

 cess. Three and four year old bulls can generally be secured at 

 very reasonable prices. Some of the best show cattle were sired by 

 bulls far past the mature stage. The expert breeder appreciates the 

 value of mature sires. 



Evil Effects of Breeding Immature Females. During the past 

 decade or two, there has been a growing tendency to breed heifers 

 at an early age; this is particularly true among the dairy breeds. 

 The men who advocate and practice the breeding of heifers so as to 

 produce calves under or at about twenty months of age, are extremely 

 numerous. In fact, the practice has been carried to such an extreme 

 that in many localities mature cows of some of the dairy breeds can- 

 not be found bearing the same size that these types did twenty years 

 ago. This practice is supported chiefly on the following grounds, 

 viz. : First, that the earlier a heifer is made to produce, the sooner 

 she begins to make some financial return for her keep, and second, 

 the capabilities of the dairy cow can be increased if stimulated at an 

 early age. There are those who claim not to object to lack of size 

 in dairy cows, and also that the smaller cows are more profitable, but 

 this latter claim has not yet been proven. The relative value of small 

 versus large dairy cows as economic producers has not been deter- 

 mined, though much discussed. It is a notable fact, however, that 

 the world's record makers and the majority of the cows entered in 

 the various advanced registry associations, are, in general, consider- 

 ably above the average as to size. It is also a notable fact that the 

 twenty-five Jersey cows entered in the dairy cow demonstration at 

 St. Louis in 1904, were large cows, the average weight for the twenty- 

 five at the beginning of the test was 911.2 pounds, and at the close 

 983 pounds. These figures place them considerably aiboye the aver- 

 age of the cows of this breed in general use in many dairy sections 

 today. These cows were used in a test where comparative economic 

 production was one of the main features. Some expert dairy 

 breeders are inclining more and more to the belief that heifers 

 should be allowed greater maturity before dropping the first calves 

 and are also permitting them to lay on more flesh than has been 

 thought to be safe; these men are demonstrating the accuracy of 

 their theories in the results produced, While it is clearly apparent 



