Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 29 



dairy cow, nor does she make as much beef as the beef cow. At present 

 the demand for dual-purpose cattle is comparatively limited, but some 

 authorities have predicted that many farms will ultimately adopt the 

 dual-purpose type as the one most profitable. 



Definition of type. — A type is an ideal or standard of perfection, 

 combining all the characters which contribute to the animal's value and 

 efficiency for the purpose specified. Tjrpe provides the animal with the 

 proper form and structure for the kind of work or production desired. 

 For example, if the specified purpose is beef production, then a rec- 

 tangular, broad-topped form and abundant muscling are among the 

 more important characters necessary to successful production. If the 

 specified purpose is milk production, then a wedge-shaped, angular 

 form and a large udder are among the important essentials. In both 

 the beef animal and the dairy animal, a straight, strong back contrib- 

 utes to the value of the animal, though it may or may not contribute 

 to the animal's efficiency in- production. 



The breeds of cattle.J^ Various breeds of cattle have been evolved 

 to meet the demands for each of the three types of cattle. Each breed 

 has its distinctive and special features not found in individuals of other 

 breeds. These special characters constitute what is called the 

 breed type. For example, there are six breeds of beef cattle all of which 

 possess beef type, yet each breed is distinctive in certain points which 

 make up the breed type. 



Years ago, various groups of men in different localities under 

 different conditions and with different sorts of unimproved cattle took 

 up beef production, or dairying, or a combination of the two. In this 

 way originated the various breeds of the three types of cattle as we 

 know them today. Competition does not narrow each type down to a 

 single best breed, because no one breed is best under all conditions of 

 soil, climate, and feed supply. 



-f^he classification of the breeds according to type, and the number 

 of registered purebreds of each breed in the United States, as shown by 

 the 1920 census, are as follows: 



