56 REPORT OF THE SCOTTISH COMMISSION 



are promptly informed that the sire's dam had a record of about 

 900 or 1000 gallons of milk containing 4 per cent, of butter fat and 

 something similar to that of the mother of the cow. The Danish 

 farmer breeds for milk ; his idea of pedigree is utility and profit. 

 This he measures daily, and anything found wanting is speedily 

 discarded. Bulls that prove getters of profitable progeny are not 

 disposed of after two or three years' service. They are not only 

 retained till they see the good old age of twelve or fifteen years, but 

 a bull that has proved his excellence is carefully reserved for 

 mating with the most profitable cows. This policy in breeding 

 and selection, pursued with remarkable perseverance in Denmark, 

 has been crowned with great success. Average yields of 800 

 gallons of milk are quite common, while a scrutiny of the carefully 

 kept records seldom discloses a cow, the milk of which falls below 

 our 3 per cent, standard of butter fat. Indeed, many have a 

 record of over 4 per cent., and the Danish farmer counts on getting 

 a pound of butter from 2| gallons of milk. 



The Milk Records 



That the milk-producing capacity of the Danish cattle has been 

 enormously increased during recent years is a matter beyond doubt. 

 Of this there was abundance of reliable evidence at many of the 

 places visited. The carefully kept records over a number of years 

 show how the average milk yield has increased at some of the best 

 managed farms a hundred or more gallons in a few years. Kolle 

 Kolle, one of the farms visited, may be cited as an illustration. 

 Here the stock is under skilful management. Every care is exer- 

 cised to select and breed profitable dairy cattle. The cows are 

 carefully selected and mated with bulls of good reputation. At 

 the time of our visit one of the bulls was 13 years of age, and 

 another choice young bull, 4 years of age, out of a cow with a record 

 of 9134 lbs. or nearly 900 gallons of milk, containing 4*29 per 

 cent, of butter fat, was ready to take his place at the head of the 

 herd. The Essex Farmers' Party visited this place in 1900, and 

 recorded the average milk yield as 7150 lbs. (about 700 gallons) ; 

 last year it reached 8847 lbs. or about 824 gallons. 



The following tables are instructive : — 



