DUAL-PURPOSE CATTLE 91 



as the modern dairy cow, and the farmers who are not able 

 to meet these requirements might as well let her alone. 



There is more to recommend the dual-purpose cow in the 

 corn belt than elsewhere, and here the type is the most 

 numerous. The typical farmer of this region finds it im- 

 practicable to secure sufficient labor to carry on a herd of 

 dairy cows large enough to consume the feed, especially the 

 roughness, grown on the farm. The raising of a number of 

 beef cattle allows this surplus roughness which cannot be 

 put upon the market with advantage to be utilized with 

 small additional labor. 



The dual-purpose cow also serves a useful purpose in 

 many cases as an intermediate step in changing from a sys- 

 tem of beef production to milk production when conditions 

 make this change necessary. That is, when the farmer 

 who has been engaged in beef production begins to sell dairy 

 products, he usually milks the cows he has for a time, and 

 gradually changes toward a dairy type by using dairy-bred 

 sires. In this way he gains experience in handling dairy 

 cattle gradually as the herd is developed. 



Fully as many difficulties are experienced in breeding dual- 

 purpose cattle as in breeding special-purpose dairy oat tie. 

 One of the tendencies observed is for individual breeders to 

 emphasize either the beef or the milk production side, in- 

 stead of keeping the two of about equal importance. This 

 results in dual-purpose breeds varying much in type as bred 

 by different breeders. The judging of dual-purpose cattle 

 in the show ring is often unsatisfactory on account of the 

 lack of a definite standard for such types, and the tendency 

 of many judges is to 'minimize either the beef or milk- 

 producing characteristics. 



