116 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK i. 



feeding purposes. Even in some, if not most of the pedigree herds, 

 steering might be practised more than it now is with credit to the 

 breeder and profit to the dairy interest a proportion of those we see 

 annually put up for sale make bad bulls, but would find ready purchasers 

 as oxen. 



" Some years since, at Bearwood, we had a cow, a cross between 

 Jersey and Shorthorn, but favouring most the Jersey breed. She was 

 first prize cow in her class at the London Dairy Show, and took also a 

 milking prize, in addition to various prizes at other shows. I mated 

 her with a very heavy-fleshed Shorthorn bull, ' Caractacus ' (36315), 

 bred by Mr. Joseph Stratton, whose father first started his herd from 

 extraordinary milking cows, and she produced in course of time three 

 cow-calves in succession, all of which took prizes at the 'Dairy,' ' Bath 

 and West,' and other shows, and, although of grand shape and form, 

 proved remarkably heavy milkers and of excellent quality. The second 

 calf she bred I entered at the London Dairy Show as in calf ; she was 

 passed by the judges as by far the grandest heifer in the class, but 

 doubtful as to being in calf, and showing only beef-making qualities. 

 This heifer calved to the time stated, and was a grand milker, thus 

 proving that although they all three took their sire's immense frame 

 and substance (he weighed dead 240 stones of 8 Ib.) they still retained 

 the dam's milking powers, in which, I believe, the sire played his part. 

 This appears to me to be the class of animal, pure or crossed According 

 to fancy, most likely to pay the owner for her keep, and leave some- 

 tiling towards the rent. One that will do good work at the dairy, and 

 make beef afterwards. A pure breed should be the chief aim, as 

 crosses often do well the first time, but are very difficult to carry on. 

 Will our Channel Island cattle breeders do well to follow exclusively, 

 according to show yard dictum, the system of breeding to produce a 

 mere milking machine of delicate constitution, or will they not do 

 better to make our English bred cattle of those valuable breeds com- 

 bine, in some degree at least, the before-mentioned qualities of milk 

 and beef making frame ? To please a lady's or gentleman's eye and 

 grace the park is one thing, but to pay rent and earn a living out of 

 them is altogether another and more difficult matter. 



" One very serious drawback I have experienced in keeping fleshy 

 cows, giving a large quantity of milk, has been from the disease known 

 as the " drop" after calving. I have, both in our Jersey, Shorthorn, 

 and Devon herds, for years suffered loss from this cause more 

 frequently with the Jersey and cross breds, than Shorthorn or Devon 

 cows many of our cows as the} 7 increased in years falling victims to 

 this complaint. I have no doubt feeding for exhibition has increased 

 the risk; at the same time, we have lost them in all stages of condition, 

 and in the Jersey herd more particularly, from which we never exhibit. 

 I have called in, with very little success, the assistance of many 

 different veterinary surgeons; tried scores of so-called certain remedies 

 and cures, both allopathic and homoeopathic, before and after calving, 

 including whiskey and other alcohols, but in two cases out of three we 

 have had to kill the animal. About two years ago I was mentioning 



