320 FEEDING ANIMALS. 



Now a few cows selected with all these requisites will lay 

 the foundation for breeding such a herd of dairy cows as 

 will be a source of perpetual delight and profit to the 

 owner. On the other hand, it is simple folly to rear a calf 

 for the dairy from a poor milker. It is bad enough to 

 keep an unprofitable cow for a season, but it is deliberately 

 throwing away good food to breed from such a cow, wilji 

 the proof before you that the heifer will never pay for her 

 keep. Of course no males will be kept of such crosses for 

 breeding purposes. 



A thoroughbred male must always be used to insure any 

 proper measure of success. A large dairyman may replace 

 his herd with cows of his own breeding on this plan, by hav- 

 ing one-third to one-half of his cows selected for breeders. 

 But the calves from these selected cows, sired by a thorough- 

 bred bull, must also be selected after they have grown to 

 sufficient age to determine their qualifications. This process 

 of selection should be also rigidly enforced in thorough- 

 bred breeding. Had this been done rigorously with all 

 our pure dairy breeds, it would now be simply necessary to 

 purchase a Jersey, an Ayrshire, or a Hoi stein, to possess a 

 good cow of either particular breed ; but they have been 

 bred so indiscriminately, and all their progeny kept till a 

 thorough weeding out is necessary. 



Let no dairyman be content to purchase the first male 

 or female he may find of either of these breeds, but in all 

 cases learn the actual performance of the animal and its 

 ancestors. A poor Jersey or Ayrshire is no better than 

 any other poor cow ; and if it be a male, he is likely to do 

 great harm, by distributing his worthless blood, and thus 

 bringing disappointment to the purchaser and discourage- 

 ment to the extension of the breed. The male in a system 

 of improved breeding is chosen for his prepotency ; and it 

 is not sufficient that his blood is of the breed desired, but 

 he must bring with him the blood of a long line of 



