No. L] THE DAIRY HERD. 385 



conjuring with pedigree. Pedigree is valuable as a reason 

 for exccllenec, but not as an excuse for mediocrity. 



Then there are different characters within a breed, and one 

 must not only select the general type but the particular 

 qualities wanted. Do not try to breed butter fat into Hol- 

 stein milk by a Jersey cross, but rather select Holsteins of a 

 family known to be richer than the general run. Do not 

 cross rich Jerseys deficient in quantity with another breed, 

 hoping to remedy the defect, but find a Jersey strong in 

 quantity for the purpose. Remember in selecting that it is 

 the individual as well as the breed that determines the char- 

 acters likely to be transmitted, and seek diligently within 

 the breed for those qualities needed for the purpose in view. 



The Bull. 



The old saying, "The bull is half the herd," is not the 

 whole truth. He is, or else he isn't, according to the 

 strength with which he transmits the qualities he possesses. 

 I sometimes find a scrub bull which is not half the herd be- 

 cause the cows with which he is mated have the stronger 

 inheritance, and transmit their qualities with greater inten- 

 sity than he. On the other hand, as a power for degenera- 

 tion he is often more than half. In improvement it has been 

 said that the cows should be depended on to maintain the 

 standard of excellence reached, but any raising of that 

 standard must come through the bull. Among grade cows 

 a pure-bred sire ought to exert by far the greater influence 

 over the qualities of the progeny. For these reasons much 

 greater care ought to be bestowed in the selection of the 

 male breeding animal. It would be better in most cases to 

 select the bull less frequently, and be more particular about 

 his quality. The practice of buying a calf or a yearling and 

 selling him after a few months' service has worked much 

 injury to our breeding interests. By selecting more care- 

 fully, and, after excellence is proved, keeping as long as 

 possible, one-half the bulls might be dispensed with, and the 

 remainder maintain a much higher standard of quality. 



Many bulls are destroyed before their qualities are known. 

 If good, there is no chance to duplicate their good work. If 



