14 DAIRY FARMING 



formed to the standards of the breed. Records must be 

 available showing the breeding of these animals and tracing 

 back in all lines to those coming from the original home of 

 the breed. Pure-bred animals are sometimes called thorough- 

 bred, but this term is also used to indicate a particular breed 

 of horses and is usually restricted to that meaning. 



Registered. The breeders of each important breed of 

 cattle have an organization for the purpose of keeping records 

 and advancing the interests of the breed. Each of these 

 organizations keeps record books. Any pure-bred animal 

 that has the breed characteristics may be recorded, provided 

 both parents are already on record. A pure-bred animal 

 that is recorded is called a registered animal. 



16. Classification of Cattle. The breeds common in 

 America are generally classed as follows : 



Dairy Breeds. Holstein, Ayrshire, Jersey, Guernsey, Brown 

 Swiss, Dutch Belted. 



Dual Purpose. Shorthorn (Dairy Type), Red Polled, Polled 

 Durham, Devon. 



Beef. Shorthorn, Hereford, Aberdeen-Angus, Galloway. 



17. Value of Breeds. Animals of a distinct breed that is 

 adapted to the region usually sell for more than animals of 

 mixed or unimproved breeding even if the latter are equally 

 good animals individually. The value of the pure-bred is 

 due to the fact that it is possible to predict with reasonable 

 certainty what characteristics will be inherited by the off- 

 spring. Among dairy cattle it is not uncommon to find ani- 

 mals of mixed breeding that rank with pure-breds as pro- 

 ducers of dairy products. These animals of mixed breeding, 

 however, cannot be depended upon to reproduce themselves 

 in their offspring. Very high grades are more likely to 

 produce young like themselves. Pure-breds have been 



