1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 31 



ing twenty are either just on the border line of profit and 

 loss or are a positive loss, is. it not better for that man to 

 run those thirty profitable cows, and let the others which are 

 eating up the profits of the good ones go to the butcher, and 

 curtail his business until he can increase his herd by selec- 

 tion? This question of selection is a question of judgment 

 on the part of the breeder. 



Mr. J. S. Perry of Worcester. This question which is 

 under discussion at the present time is a question that I 

 have seen agitated in the papers and heard spoken of a great 

 deal. It is one that I do not believe any of us are wise 

 enough to fathom. It is all very well for the speaker to say, 

 " Sift out your cows." Our agricultural papers say, " Why 

 don't you sift out your cows, and sell the poor ones for 

 beef? If you will do that, your cows will pay a profit." 

 I have had a little experience yi keeping cows, and I have 

 found out one thing. Here is a cow that will give twenty 

 quarts of milk a day for a certain season ; she is all right 

 every way. The next season that cow will come in in just 

 as good shape every way as regards flesh and all surround- 

 ing circumstances, as far as the observation of man can 

 perceive, but that season she will give but ten quarts of 

 milk a day. Now, I say no matter how wise we are in 

 regard to breeding cows, this is a fact, and there is not a 

 milkman in this hall who will not substantiate what I say. 

 What real benefit is it to weed out our cows, as we are told 

 to do by the professor, as we are told to do by the agricult- 

 ural papers ? Every man who keeps cows will testify that 

 a cow that does well one year or perhaps for a series of 

 years is very apt to have an off year. I do not believe 

 there is a man in the hall who will not agree with me in this 

 statement. The sifting out of cows is an impossible thing. 

 Then in regard to breeds. I have gone out and bought 

 little scrub cows for twenty or twenty-five dollars, and I 

 have paid a hundred dollars for cows ; and I have found 

 that the little scrub cows beat the hundred-dollar cows. 

 Now, what are you going to do about it? I would like 

 to ask the professor if he can tell me why it is that a cow in 

 good health, apparently, will give twenty quarts per day 

 one year and another year but ten ? 



