^HEEDING- DAIKY STOCK. ' 37 



tion of blood, but not as rapid as when scrub bulls are 

 used. The only safety is in using pure blood males. 

 With these well selected and all other conditions main- 

 tained, the status is certain to be preserved, if improve- 

 ments, in consequence of better care and selection, are 

 not secured. 



COUPLING. 



Proper coupling, or rather the coupling of proper 

 animals, has received little attention, and is now confined 

 generally if not exclusively to professional breeders. 

 But it is a subject to which the dairymen ca-n as well as 

 not pay attention with good results. By coupling proper 

 animals, we mean having regard to individual points 

 and qualities, never coupling those having the same de- 

 fects, either in form or quality. For, instance, to illus- 

 trate, a cow high on the rump may be safely bred to a 

 bull low on the rump, or vice versa, the result, in all pro- 

 bability, being an offspring with a level rump. This is 

 breeding together opposite extremes, depending on the 

 one to correct the other. But it we breed two sloped 

 rumps together, or two humped rumps, the result would 

 be to exaggerate and intensify or strengthen this deform- 

 ity in the offspring. So of quality or disposition. A 

 nervous cow bred to a nervous or irritable bull, would be 

 pretty sure to drop a calf that would be more nervous 

 than either sire or dam. But if one of the parents is dull 

 and sluggish and the other irritable and sensitive, the 

 offspring might be an improvement on both. Again, a 

 cow lacking in the quality of richness of milk, though 

 giving a large flow, should not be coupled with a bull 



