Freeborn County Jerseys. 95 



the generation last sold to outsiders. And offerings 

 would sell at good prices, both because of superior ex- 

 cellence as shown by performance pedigrees and be- 

 cause of the carefully sustained reputation of the coun- 

 ty. It might even be best for the county to have charge 

 of all sales, paying each owner the extra value secured 

 above standard prices. 



To carry out such a plan successfully certain essen- 

 tials must be observed. The first matter of importance, 

 after organization is perfected, is to secure superior 

 foundation stock. The future success depends very 

 largely on the animals from which the start is made. 

 The opportunity for securing superior males and fe- 

 males is indeed very great. All the best herds in 

 America, England and Jersey, and even herds in other 

 countries, are a source of hundreds of thousands from 

 which to select. If some one trained in such work were 

 employed for one or more years to review by corres- 

 pondence and by visitation all the best available herds 

 and to select the best that could be purchased at rea- 

 sonable prices some of the choicest Jerseys in the world 

 could be brought together. The investment would 

 necessarily be large and after testing those first secured 

 and discarding those of lesser value it might be wise 

 to purchase still others. The hundreds thus selected 

 from hundreds of thousands should average high in 

 value. But .of paramount importance is the fact that 

 among these there would surely be many which would 

 become record-breakers under more rigid tests than 

 are applied in present methods of breeding, and a fair 

 number would prove to be strong in producing progeny 

 of high average value, the most important test of all. 



The next step seems difficult, viz. : testing and re- 

 cording the values of these foundation animals and 

 of their progeny, that all but the few very best may 

 be discarded. No doubt records already gathered by 

 dairy experimenters and by our most careful breeders 

 would serve in formulating plans which would greatly 

 aid in making these tests practicable. The many entire- 



