SELECTION OF THE HERD BULL 163 



to reject the inferior ones promptly when discovered. The 

 higher developed we get our cows, the more difficulty we must 

 expect in keeping them all up to the standard. 



Methods of selecting a Bull. There are two courses open 

 in selecting a herd bull. One is to buy a young bull on the 

 strength of the records of his ancestors, and trust to luck to 

 a certain extent that he will be one that will transmit the 

 desirable characteristics of his ancestors to a high degree. 

 As a rule, such a bull will do fairly well at least in trans- 

 mitting these characteristics. For the owner of grade cattle 

 or herds of low dairy capacity, this method of selection is 

 reasonably satisfactory. 



In selecting a young bull, the pedigree including the rec- 

 ords of ancestors is of more importance than the individ- 

 uality of the animal. The things to be looked for in the 

 pedigree are first of all records of production by the female 

 ancestors, especially the dam of the animal, and indications 

 that the ancestors have transmitted the characteristics 

 wanted. 



There are some who refuse to have a bull from the phenom- 

 enal record-making cows for fear the vitality of the calf will 

 be weakened. The majority of breeders, however, want the 

 dam to have the highest record possible, other things being 

 equal. We cannot expect more than a few of her close de- 

 scendants will inherit this high quality but the chances are 

 better for them to average up well than they would be from 

 a cow of lower productive capacity. 



There is a general belief among breeders that the character- 

 istics of the dam of the sire are transmitted stronger to his 

 daughters than are the characteristics of any other female 

 ancestor. This view has not been demonstrated by conclu- 



