154 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



came to the Boston market was a fine-looking, full-blooded 

 animal. She came from a cow that was a fine animal, that 

 gave an excellent record of milk and butter ; but that cow 

 proved worthless. The bad qualities remained dormant 

 through some generations, and then cropped out. That is a 

 point we must look at. We should never keep an animal 

 because its mother was a good one, but let it stand on its 

 own merits. 



Mr. Everett. They are just as likely to be carried down 

 from one generation to another on the part of the bull as on 

 the part of the mother. 



Mr. Douglas. Certainly. 



Mr. Fitch. If a man wishes to raise a good calf from a 

 good cow, does he not often milk the mother a great deal too 

 long to do it ? 



Mr. Douglas. I have heard good breeders say that the 

 progeny of a cow might be better than the mother herself, 

 because the mother has been overtaxed throuo-h lonof-con- 

 tinned milking. That is the theory ; I do not know whether 

 it is so, or not. As was said this morning, there are a good 

 many conditions which we have to consider in all these 

 things. 



Question. I would like to ask al)out the matter of breed- 

 ing young animals. At what age should they come in? 



Mr. Douglas. I like to have them come in at two or two 

 and one-half years old. I want to get a good physical 

 development. I do not want to feed them on too rich food, 

 and let them get fat. Then, after they come in, I do not 

 give them corn meal or concentrated food, but rations that 

 are calculated to develop the milk organs'. Then, with 

 careful milking and care, you develop the animal properly. 

 Care every time! Never allow it to stand out in the cold. 

 All those things must be taken into account. Take the best 

 care possible without overdoing it, without feeding too rich 

 food, but endeavor to develop the milk-producing quali- 

 ties, etc. Some people are careless about drying off heifers. 

 They do not give much milk, and they think it is not of 

 much importance. I hold that it is very important to keep 

 up the flow of milk at the outset, — eleven months, if you 

 can, the first season. The next year j'ou will find it easier 



