Major and Minor Dairy Breeds 63 



has sprung up, and where the localities have been 

 more or less isolated, and the cattle have developed 

 from the local cattle of the district by constant selec- 

 tion of those that are the most profitable producers. 

 In some cases this selection has been going on for 

 more than a hundred years. While the domestic ox 

 is more or less variable in size, in conformation and 

 in color, the number of breeds of cattle is not large, 

 and they group themselves into the dairy and beef 

 breeds, according to the purpose for which each has 

 been selected. 



At the present time in the United States there are 

 about twenty well-recognized breeds, in about half of 

 which the dairy is the leading characteristic. Four 

 breeds maintain a leading position among dairy cattle; 

 namely, Jersey, Guernsey, Holstein-Friesian and Ayr- 

 shire. Five other breeds occupy a minor position, but 

 are still numerous enough to demand attention; 

 namely, Shorthorn, Red Polled, Brown Swiss, Dutch 

 Belted and Devon. Four breeds are native of Great 

 Britain; namely, Ayrshire, Shorthorn, Red Polled 

 and Devon. Two, Jersey and Guernsey, are native of 

 the Channel Islands. Two, Holstein-Friesian and 

 Dutch Belted, are native of the Kingdom of the Nether- 

 lands; and one, Brown Swiss, comes from Switzerland. 



The breeds are easily distinguished one from 

 another by size, conformation and color markings. 

 They all have the characteristic wedge-shaped form of 

 the dairy animal distinctly developed, and all have 

 noteworthy dairy capacity, as shown by their large, 

 symmetrical udders. 



