214 LIVE-STOCK JUDGING 



cutcheon, its extent and form. The inspection is con- 

 cluded by a look at the other side, noting again, as has 

 already been done, the openness of the form as indicated 

 in the chine especially, and the general spare appearance 

 indicative of the dairy temperament. It is well to move 

 the cows about in order to verify or extend one's estimate 

 of them. 



DUAL-PURPOSE CATTLE 



233. Production. Cows of this type are to serve the 

 twofold purpose of milk and beef. In principle and theory 

 the dual-purpose idea is subject to some logical opposition, 

 but the dual-purpose cow is a matter of fact, 90 % of the 

 milk supply of London being derived from milking Short- 

 horns, the breed that also furnishes a large part of the 

 beef consumed in Great Britain. The principle is 

 opposed on the ground that milk and beef are extreme 

 opposites under the law of correlation, and therefore their 

 joint production, in the same animal, is contrary to the 

 laws of nature. And so it is if extreme production in both 

 lines is attempted, but between any two extremes is a 

 mean, represented by an intermediate or halfway position. 

 It is, therefore, perfectly reasonable to expect from one 

 individual the production of milk to the extent of one 

 half the normal in dairy cows, and the production of a 

 carcass of beef at least 50 % as valuable and one half as 

 economically produced as in the case of a typical beef 

 steer. This is all that should be attempted and ap- 

 parently all that can be accomplished in the perfection 

 of the dual-purpose cow. The great difficulty seems to 

 be that breeders are not satisfied to maintain this middle 

 ground, but are ambitious to make either dairy or slaughter 

 records with their so-called dual-purpose cattle. Even 

 the judging of the leading dual-purpose breeds has been 



