18 N. H. Agriculturax, Experiment Station [Bulletin 302 



purchased from herds which are mainly raised on the respective farms 

 from which sold and which are selling mostly cows, than from herds 

 which are mainly purchased and whose sales are mostly cows that are 

 purchased and resold. 



It is not only important that cows be purchased from herds which are 

 predominantly raised but also that the individual cow be raised on the 

 farm from which she is purchased. Although there is no significant 

 evidence that the cows raised are of superior quality to those purchased, 

 with respect to age, length of lactation period and production, a much 

 larger proportion of those purchased and resold were obviously dis- 

 posed of for questionable reasons. Seventy-nine per cent of the cows 

 raised were sold for good reasons compared with only 39 per cent of 

 those purchased and resold. 



In general a dairyman's chances of getting a good cow were better 

 with purebreds than with grades, especially when purchasing from a 

 purebred herd. Eighty-one per cent of the cows sold from herds which 

 consist only of purebreds were sold for good reasons, even though 44 

 per cent of these cows were purchased and resold. The average price 

 received for cows sold from purebred herds was much higher than for 

 those sold from other herds, but the average production was also high- 

 er. Only 23 per cent were sold to dealers. Three-fifths of all the pure- 

 bred cows sold for production were sold from purebred herds. Thus, 

 most of those disposed of from herds which were partly grade and partly 

 purebred were grade cows, and it is from these grade herds, especially 

 tliose which were mainly grade but consisting of one or more purebreds, 

 that a large proportion of the sales was questionable. 



In general, higher prices received were commensurate with better 

 quality cows. Cows for which above average price was received aver- 

 aged higher production and were somewhat younger, and a much larger 

 proportion of them was sold for good reason. Cows sold from herds 

 which consisted mainly of mongrels or of several breeds with none pre- 

 dominating were mostly cows purchased and resold. They were older, 

 average production was low, and approximately three-fourths were sold 

 for reasons which make their ownership questionable. Only 13 per cent 

 of the mongrel cows were sold for good reasons compared with 68 per 

 cent for the regular breeds. Only 31 per cent were raised, and these 

 averaged more than one year older, had a shorter lactation period, and 

 were on the average low producers. Sixty-seven per cent were sold to 

 farmers. There is no evidence that cows sold for continued production 

 by farmers who sell their dairy products at retail are of any better or 

 poorer quality than those sold by wholesale farmers. Proportionately 

 more were raised by the farmers selling them, and even though a larger 

 percentage was purebred, the price averaged $4 per head less than tliose 

 sold by wholesale farmers. 



There is apparently some tendency for farmers to sell a larger pro- 

 portion of their imperfect cows to dealers than to farmers. Sixty-seven 

 per cent of those sold to farmers were sold for good reason compared with 

 58 per cent of those sold to dealers. An average price received from 

 dealers was $6 per head less and a smaller proportion was purebred. 



When dairy cows are found to be inefficient producers of milk or have 

 depreciated because of age or some ailment, they should be sold for 



