Mower County Beef Shorthorns. 103 



tion that he was doing the impossible in accurately and 

 finally measuring the general value by mei;e appear- 

 ance, have often led the breeders of beef Short-horns 

 too far along the specializing path. Families of cows 

 in which a fourth of the dams cannot supply sufficient 

 milk to push the calf forward for baby beef have too 

 far departed from the mother function to be the most 

 valuable, even as beef animals, to say nothing of helping 

 to pay profits at the pail. 



The farmers of the great agricultural States want 

 beef cows which will make the most money per herd, 

 not those which merely produce an occasional phe- 

 nomenal prize-winner at fairs. And some of the old- 

 fashioned Short-horns are really worth more to the 

 stock farm than some of the newer families which 

 have been fashionable. 



Co-operative organization in breeding beef Short- 

 horns would enable the use of large numbers and the 

 making of statistical records under official inspection. 

 Just as in dairy breeding, greater emphasis should be 

 placed on families of superior value. Not only should 

 the few intrinsically best out of immense numbers be 

 chosen by the breeders, but their blood should be scien- 

 tifically tested and systematically advertised, that they 

 may gain much wider use than under present methods. 



Besides Freeborn County, Minnesota, mentioned in 

 the previous article, is Mower County, in which are 

 located several breeders, mostly beginners, of Short- 

 horn cattle. To aid in this discussion let us assume that 

 Mower County leave the breeding of pure-bred Jerseys 

 to Freeborn County and Freeborn County likewise al- 

 low Mower County to monopolize the breeding of spe- 

 cial-purpose Short-horns. The farmers of Freeborn 

 County who wish a beef Short-horn sire could easilv 

 go to the neighboring county and by inspecting a num- 

 ber of herds and by studying official records and com- 

 paring prices be able to secure bulls for upgrading their 

 beef cattle. The dairy farmers of Mower County, in 

 like manner, could readily study the registered herds 



