Breeding Dual-Purpose Cattle. i ig 



breeders of milking Short-horns and of other dual-pur- 

 pose cattle. And it is not to the credit of the vast in- 

 terests invested in dual-purpose cattle that this argu- 

 ment must be based on generalities gathered outside 

 the breeds which combine beef and milk. 



The devotees of classes 3, 4 and 5 will soon awake 

 under the lash being applied by the dairy experimenters 

 and breeders and we shall have performance records 

 of herds. Records showing beef products, dairy pro- 

 ducts and net results from the best herds of milking 

 Short-horns would set the dairy experts at a new task. 

 They might find themselves on the defensive. In the 

 meantime it is due that we take off our hats to the dairy 

 breeders and congratulate them on the fact that their 

 best dairy herds are making them better profits, and 

 theirs is the stock we should be wise enough to use in 

 dairy production, at least until dual-purpose cattle are 

 bred up. 



The dual-purpose cattle problem is of the future. 

 Only a beginning has been made. The next step must 

 be statistical methods of breeding or the special-pur- 

 pose dairy cow will continue to dominate dairy produc- 

 tion and the beautiful beef animal will dominate in meat 

 production. And the emphasis need not be especially 

 on dual-purpose breeding. It should be alike on breed- 

 ing all three classes. The magnificent results attained 

 in breeding dairy cattle and beef cattle should be push- 

 ed forward with far greater vigor that as many as pos- 

 sible may have the better blood to use, and that each 

 class of cattle may set higher standards of farm profits 

 for each other class to rise toward i in competition. Sys- 

 tematic, statistical dual-purpose breeding is nearly a 

 virgin field, and on that account may be open to more 

 wonderful opportunities than breeding the special 

 classes. Who knows? 



The problem of the formation of new breeds lies in 

 the method. Present methods have carried us. farther' 

 and farther away from pure-bred ductl-purpose types 



