36 



not of as much consequence in a cow, so far as practical 

 results are concerned, though it helps insure certainly in 

 the quality of the offspring when that of the cow, as well 

 as of the bull, is right. But we may safely venture, on 

 raising the calves of a good milker, as the probabilities 

 are that the offspring will inherit the qualities' of the 

 sire, while it may also inherit the qualities of the dam, 

 though she he of the most mongrel or mixed blood. If 

 there is failure, however, it need not go beyond that one 

 animal unless an attempt is made to use a grade bull 

 on a nondescript dam, in which case prepotency is weak- 

 ened and mongrel ism may show in the offspring. But 

 grade bulls should never be used when it is possible to 

 have the use of the right kind of pure blood, which is 

 always stronger than mixed blood, and hence a pure 

 blood sire is pretty sure to transmit the qualities of his 

 herd and family, in a great degree, even when coupled 

 with a cow of uncertain blood. In breeding, the one bull 

 makes half the herd, and when used on common stock, 

 the offspring will always be half-bloods the first gener- 

 ation. The second generation they become three-quarter 

 bloods; the third seven eighths; the fourth fifteen-six- 

 teenth, and so on, constantly approaching, but never 

 reaching, purity. For all dairy purposes, however, they 

 become practically as good as pure-bloods. But if the 

 breeding is the other way- that is, if a scrub bull is used 

 on pure-blood cows the degeneration to the scrub status 

 is in precisely the same ratio that we have just given for 

 improvement when pure-blood males are constantly used. 

 By using grade bulls, there is also a constant deteriora- 



