THE SELECTION OF A SIRE. 227 



is once obtained in a herd his days should not be cut short, nor his energies 

 wasted ; and he will leave an impress upon the herd that will last for generations." 



Edward A. Powell, vice-president Smiths & Powell Co., Lakeside Stock 

 Farm, Syracuse, N. Y.: 



" The selection of sires for breeding purposes is the most important matter 

 to be considered in the breeding problem, not only because the sire represents 

 one-half of the herd in breeding, but because uniformity in type, style, etc.. is 

 very essential in order to give the herd a nice appearance, and this quality can 

 only be successfully secured through the sire, as the dams are not supposed to 

 be from the same families, or entirely uniform in breeding or quality. If, 

 therefore, the sire be so strongly bred as to impart his characteristics to all his 

 produce, the herd will soon become uniform in appearance. If the sire be just 

 the type desired, fine in form, choice in quality, and of the size preferred, the 

 herd will soon be up to the standard esta blished by the breeder. 



"In the dairy production is the first essential, therefore, in selecting the sire 

 the ancestors are first of all to be considered. The dams, for several genera- 

 tions in every line should be large producers of the product desired. If milk be 

 the essential, then they should have large yearly records for milk. Daily 

 records are of little value. If butter alone be essential, then they should have 

 large records for butter. If milk and butter both be desired, we should then 

 select bulls whose female ancestors for many generations have large yearly 

 milk records, and large weekly, monthly or yearly butter records if possible. 

 In connection with this we should also consider the individual excellence of the 

 ancestors, as well as the individual quality of the animal to be chosen. 



"Beauty of form, finish and quality, can be secured in connection with the 

 largest production, and hence there is no necessity for breeding from an over- 

 grown, coarse boned, lathy, logy sire, even though his ancestors may have been 

 great producers. We believe the present demand for Holstein-Friesians is for 

 large butter makers, with good milk records, animals of medium size, low, 

 blocky, straight, compact, vigorous, active, with strong constitutions, of supe- 

 rior quality and of high finish. If these be the desiderata, then bulls should be 

 selected which possess in a marked degree all these qualities. Care should also 

 be taken to select animals from families which have been so well established 

 that a reproduction of the characteristics desired may be considered almost a 

 certainty. We should therefore, in selecting a bull, make haste slowly. 

 Study every characteristic of the ancestors, as well as of the individual." 



Prof. John A. Craig, of the Wisconsin Experiment Station: 



" The most valuable characteristics of the breeding of a dairy bull are the 

 number and merit of the performances that have been made by the cows that 

 enter into his pedigree. The most important feature of this is the degree to 

 which his dam was a good dairy cow, and then in lessening degree the merit 

 of his grandam and great grandam. Next to these facts is the number and 

 performances of the cows that have been gotten by the sires that enter into a 

 pedigree. A bull that has breeding of high order based on performance is as 

 certain as things can be to get good calves, provided as an individual he is 

 satisfactory." 



A. P. Foster : 



"My earnest advice to dairymen is to use no sire that is unable to claim 

 an unbroken line of dairy ancestors, and, what is better, prove his claim. 

 And right here is found the value of registration. Nothing else can be taken 

 as reliable for any number of consecutive generations. This, too, needs to 

 be supplemented by the best obtainable proof as to the superior individual 

 qualities of his dam and his sire's dam. When our herd books more generally 

 carry along this kind of information, they will become still more valuable." 



Editor Hoard's Dairman : 



" Considering the importance of the sire in determining the dairy character 

 of his daughters, there is no wonder that thousands of men are asking the 

 question: ''What are the marks of a good bull?' The difficulty is still more 

 enhanced when one tries to make the selection while the animal is a calf. 

 Mr. G. W. Farlee, late president of the Jersey Cattle Club, in answering an 

 inquiry of this sort through the Country Gentleman, confesses that after an 

 experience of twenty-five years in breeding, he is unable to name the external 

 points of excellence in a bull save that of constitution, a deep barrel and 

 an open twist. His greatest reliance, however, is in pedigree. If the bull 



