OUR COMMON STOCK h 29 



A cross is an animal resulting from the mating of two ani- 

 mals of different breeds. The wisdom of such depends largely 

 upon whether the two breeds are sufficiently similar to give fair 

 guarantee that the progeny will not be more or less of a mon- 

 strosity. For instance, refined representatives of both the Jersey 

 and the Guernsey breeds are as likely to produce an efficient dairy- 

 cow as could be expected from the mating of the large angular 

 Jersey with a refined Jersey, while the crossing of the Holstein- 

 Friesian with either the Guernsey or the Jersey is a practice 

 never to be recommended. The differences in their organization 

 are too great. Experience has shown that the progeny of such a 

 cross is seldom as valuable as either parent for dairy purposes. 

 The mating of extremes should be avoided. 



Grades are the result of mating a pure-bred with common 

 stock of mixed and uncertain breeding. A pure-bred animal is 

 usually far more prepotent than the scrub or common animal. 

 The qualities of the pure-bred animal usually manifest them- 

 selves in the improvement of the young towards the qualities of 

 the pure parent. Thus, so far as the qualities are concerned, 

 the cow resulting from the first cross may be said to be more 

 than half of the blood of the pure parent. The next mating 

 with a pure-bred should effect improvement, but such will not 

 usually be nearly as marked. The bulk of the dairy work of 

 this country must of necessity be done by grade cows for a very 

 long time to come. Yet their qualities should be improved as 

 rapidly as possible by grading up with a pure-bred sire and by 

 better feeding and handling. 



Our common stock are the descendants of the animals 

 brought over in the colonial period and soon after. The founda- 

 tion stock of the country differs. In the southern states the 

 animals are largely the descendants of the Jerseys and Guern- 

 seys introduced to the country as Alderneys, and not kept pure. 

 There is a considerable admixture also of the Shorthorn blood 

 in the South and elsewhere. The early common stock of the 

 northern states are very largely the descendants of the Dutch 

 cattle brought over in the seventeenth century and mixed with 

 Shorthorns brought over later. Eecent importations and at- 



