HOLSTEIN-FRIESIAN CATTLE. 



came in a test of the cow Echo, bred by Mr. Miller and owned by Mr. F. C. 

 Stevens, Attica, N. Y. It was for two successive years, beginning March 9th, 

 1882, and closing May 28th, 1884. During the first year she gave 18,1201 Ibs. 

 and during the second year, after a brief rest for about ten weeks, she 

 produced 23,775 Ibs. These records aroused the attention of dairy writers, 

 especially in England. They were pronounced impossible. Plausible 

 arguments were made to show the inconsistency of such records with the 

 amount of material for making milk that a cow could digest. Public con- 

 fidence in them was shaken for a brief period. 



At this stage of public sentiment a test was begun of the cow Clothilde 

 (see page 68) by Smiths & Powell Co. They offered to pay the expenses of some 

 of the most prominent scientists to come and thoroughly investigate this test. 

 A number of gentlemen availed themselves of this offer. It was also placed in 

 the official charge of the Superintendent of the Holstein-Friesian Advanced 

 Registry, who from time to time sent official inspectors to watch the milkings, 

 to test the scales on which they were weighed, to examine into the accuracy 

 of the account that was being kept, and into every other detail in which there 

 might be a possibility of error. None was discovered and the accuracy of the 

 record was put beyond all reasonable doubt. The result was the production of 

 26,021i pounds in three hundred and sixty-five consecutive days, a record of 

 more than 2,000 Ibs. above any that had been previously made. It seemed at 

 that time that the extreme capacity of milk production by a single cow had 

 been reached, but later the cow Pietertje 2d owned by Mr. Dallas B. Whipple 

 of Cuba, N. Y., in August, 1888, reached a year's record of 30,318^. The produc- 

 tion of this had also been closely watched by disinterested parties and the 

 proof is so convincing, that it was received by the public with much less doubt 

 than were the early records of half this amount. Since 1880 many other cows 

 have exceeded Aaggie's noted record. 



Among these are Ethelka at 18,131 T \ Ibs., and Jamaica at 19,547 Ibs., both 

 'owned by John Mitchell, Vails Gate, N. Y.; Violet at 18,677i Ibs., by Edgar 

 Huidekoper, Meadville, Penn.; Lady De Vries at 18,848^ Ibs., by L. H. Payne, 

 Garrettsville, O.; Empress at 19,714i Ibs., by Hon. G. S. Miller, Peterboro, 

 N. Y.; Glenburine at 20.138i Ibs. by B. B. Lord & Son, Sinclairville, N. Y.: 

 Rhoda at 21,309 Ibs. by F. C. Stevens, Attica, N. Y.; Princess of Wayne at 

 20,469 T 9 <r Ibs. and Aaggie 2d at 20,763 T 3 e Ibs., both by T. G. Yeomans & Sons, Wai- 

 worth, N. Y.; Boukje at 21,679| Ibs., by Stone & Carpenter, Waverly, Penn.; 

 Koningen Van Friesland 5th at 19,700i Ibs. by A. Bradley and H. D. Warner, 

 Lanesville, Conn.; Koningen Van Friesland 3d at 23,617| Ibs., by H. O. Warner, 

 New Milford, Conn.; Sultana at 22,043| Ibs., by H. C. Jewett & Co., Buffalo, 

 N. Y.: and Albino 2d at 18,484|f Ibs. in iwo-year form, Netherland Belle at 

 19,516| Ibs., Aaggie Rosa at 20,227 T \ Ibs., Lady Fay at 20,602^ Ibs., and Clothilde 

 2d at 23,602i Ibs., by Smiths & Powell Co. 



Such records have been of so much interest in this country that the breed- 

 ers have given much more attention to the production of quantity than quality 

 of milk. They have fed and cared for their cattle to produce quantity. In 

 consequence, many have inferred that this breed is an excellent one for the 

 production of milk and cheese, but that it is not adapted to the production of 

 butter. Notwithstanding this impression, it has now been engaged for some 

 time in a contest for the highest place as a butter breed, and the rapidity with 

 which it is gaining such a position is a public surprise. The first step toward 

 this was the winning of the challenge cup offered by the " Breeders' Gazette," 

 of Chicago for the largest thirty-days butter record. The contest for this cup 

 was open to the world, and to all breeds, until July 1st, 1882. It was won by 

 Mercedes, a cow of this breed owned by Thomas B. Wales, then of Iowa City, 

 Iowa. Her record was 99 Ibs., 6 ounces. This result awakened much contro- 

 versy. Several competitions took place in the three years following at cattle 

 shows in the Western states, uniformly resulting in the success of this breed ; 

 yet they were not considered conclusive, as the best cows of other breeds were 

 not put in competition. At this stage of public opinion, the New York Dairy 

 Show of 1887 was conceived. Long before its opening, it was widely known 

 that one of its most important features would be a contest for the champion- 

 ship in butter production. This was to be decided by a twenty- four hours' trial 

 in the hands of an impartial committee. It was entered upon for the purpose 

 of testing the claims of the different breeds. Cattle clubs and breeders' associ- 

 ations were deeply interested in it, and gave every possible encouragement to 



