90 DAIRY CATTLE AND MILK PRODUCTION 



is using dual-purpose cattle, is asked why he does not use 

 special-purpose dairy cattle in preference to the dual-purpose, 

 he will give one or all of the following reasons : 



(1) The calves from the dairy breeds are not salable for 

 beef purposes. 



(2) The cows of the dairy breeds are not salable for beef 

 when they are no longer useful for milk production. 



(3) The cows of the dairy breeds are delicate, and require 

 better care and attention than he can give them. 



There is some ground for these statements. The calves 

 of the dairy breeds, as a rule, cannot be raised for beef with 

 profit, and it is often unprofitable even to raise them for 

 veal. 



It is also true that cows of the dairy breeds are not readily 

 salable for beef when no longer profitable in the dairy, and 

 when herds are properly weeded out it is necessary to dis- 

 pose of a considerable number of cows every year. On the 

 other hand, profitable dairy cows when once secured usually 

 are kept at a profit for a comparatively long time, and the 

 difference in return for the milk produced by a cow of the 

 dairy breed and of the dual-purpose breed .far more than 

 makes up for the difference in beef value when placed upon 

 the market. It is also true that cows of the dairy breed 

 need good attention, or they will not be kept at a profit, but 

 it cannot be said that they are especially delicate, although 

 they will be of little value if allowed to go without proper 

 shelter and food. The dual-purpose cow that produces 

 milk for a few months during the summer only is as well 

 adapted as the highly developed dairy cow for the farmer 

 who will not provide the proper conditions. It requires good 

 intelligent care to make use of as highly developed an animal 



