54 DAIRYING 



generation will contain 50 per cent of the blood of its sire, one of 

 the second generation 75 per cent ; third generation 87.5 per cent, 

 and fourth generation nearly 94 per cent. This is a fast grading 

 up of a herd and it shows how important it is to watch the breed- 

 ing of the cows, in order that the herd may be on the up grade 

 rather than in the opposite direction. A sire of no dairy breeding 

 or characteristics will produce calves like himself; they will not 

 be any better than he is, and may be worse if the dam has no milk- 

 ing tendency. 



748. A grade sire can never help to build up a herd in the 

 same way as a pure-bred sire. It is true the grade sire may be 

 cheap, but the milking capacity of the cows in the herd does not 

 improve under such breeding. If a half-blood sire is bred to a 

 scrub cow, the calf will have three parts scrub and one part of the 

 better blood. This is no improvement of any consequence, and 

 even if a three-fourths blood sire is bred to a scrub cow, the off- 

 spring will be five parts scrub and only three parts of a possibly 

 higher quality blood. Progress is too slow by this breeding, and 

 many generations will pass before the pure blood begins to show 

 any impression on the scrub stock. When a pure-bred dairy sire 

 is used his daughters may easily produce more milk in their first 

 milking period than the mothers of these daughters ever produced. 



In buying a pure-bred sire an inspection should be made of 

 something more than the pedigree of the animal. The milk 

 records of his ancestors for several generations are of far greater 

 importance and these should be the evidence on which an estimate 

 of his value is placed. 



It is often stated that "The bull is more than half the herd." 

 This is an especially important statement for a milk producer to 

 consider and in thinking about his herd the dairyman should re- 

 member that in building up or improving the milking capacity 

 of his cows, that he can raise good cows from good cows and a 

 pure-bred sire, and that although a high standard of producers 

 has already been reached, this may be raised still higher. An 

 effort should therefore be made to strengthen the constitution and 

 vigor of the breeding animals. Breeding for the purpose of ex- 

 tending an animal's pedigree is of no value, but improving the 

 practical value of the cows as milk producers is worth while. 



