132 CONKEY'S STOCK BOOK 



(2) Of the money invested in dairy cows; 



(3) Of the marketable product, whether milk or butter, on account of 

 lack of care in getting it to consumer. 



Fit these few suggestions on dairying to your own management, and 

 you'll deserve and win one of those comfortable little fortunes so common 

 nowadays from dairying. 



III. Dual-Purpose Breeds 



Some very pretty things have been hoped and some very ugly things 

 have been said of the dual-purpose cow. 



Is the idea right or wrong, anyhow? We may, or may not, agree. 



But this much is certain: Even the most profitable dairy breed must 

 produce some veal for the butcher and come to the block herself at the 

 end. Our dairy steers we must fatten and put in tolerable flesh for market. 



YANKEE "IDEE!" It's a good American idea anyway, if it does ask a 

 good deal of the cow. 



THE DUAL- A dual-purpose animal lacks the width and smoothness 



PURPOSE TYPE of the beef type, has more neck, more leg, narrower 



withers and puts on less flesh than does the beef; but 



it is smoother (meat more even), less angular and tends more to flesh than 

 does the dairy type. During the milking period the dual-purpose animal 

 often loses flesh to a noticeable degree; but after drying off it tends to 

 regain its beef losses. But, of the so-called dual-purpose breeds, we classify 

 each individual specimen according to whether it tends more to beef or to 

 the dairy type. Given a dual-purpose breed, for instance, Red Poll, Short- 

 horn, Devon, .Brown Swiss, etc., it becomes a matter of judging whether 

 the individual tends to (1) beef or (2) dairy type. 



THE SHORTHORN We've had a deal to say about this breed already, 

 where it belongs according to breeding science 



high up among beef breeds. But here she comes the Shorthorn of milking 

 strain, and heads the list for the man who has a small farm and wants a 

 thoroughly practical cow. Hence we distinguish between the fat Shorthorn, 

 that is beef animal, and the dairy Shorthorn, which certainly, if actions 

 count, behaves pretty much like an ideal dual-purpose cow. Short horns 

 have made some high tests. They are extremely popular because so adapt- 

 able to various conditions; but they should not be selected for hard winter 

 climates if expected to be out on range. 



THE RED POLLED The Red Polled is a breed rather inclined to beef, 

 as will be seen on page 138, but they have long been 



familiar in this country as a dual-purpose breed. In fact "Muley" (or polled) 

 cows of a red color have been common in the United States ever since 

 Colonial times. Their original home was in the eastern part of England. 

 In some respects they are our truest form of dual-purpose animal. Their 

 milk flow is fairly full during lactation; and then on drying off they easily 

 fatten. In most of the dairy or beef points they easily rank very fair, 

 which for a dual-purpose animal means very good indeed. They have 

 rather less dairy temperament than the Shorthorns. In milk production 

 at the Pan-American test (1901) they took fifth place among the contestants. 



