SIZE OF DAIRY COWS. 321 



ancestors, proved, by actual performance, to possess the 

 qualities desired. The only pedigree of real value repre- 

 sents performance in the ancestors of the animal. It is 

 necessary to make this point strongly, because breeding, 

 for the last twenty years, has had little reference to any- 

 thing save purity of blood and sundry fancy points. We 

 have entered upon a realistic period, which demands real 

 merit first, leaving fancy where it belongs in the rear. 

 "Witness the tests of butter cows for the last few years ; 

 the great prices brought by those having the great butter 

 yielders in their line of ancestors. 



SIZE OF DAIRY Cows. 



The question of size in dairy cows has a bearing upon 

 the economy of feeding, but the exact law practically 

 governing the expenditure of food proportioned to the size 

 of the animal in production has not been fully settled ; 

 yet experiments have been made which throw some light 

 upon it. 



Natural principles applied to it would appear to favor 

 large cows, as they have less external surface for the 

 radiation of animal heat than smaller ones, in proportion 

 to weight. It is well settled that two animals weighing 

 2,400 pounds will consume less food of support than three 

 of the same aggregate weight. It may be stated as a 

 general law, that the food of support decreases propor- 

 tionally with the increase of size in animals. We find an 

 article in a paper illustrating this point, without credit to 

 the author ; but we think it was written by Prof. Arnold. 

 He sets out by stating this difference in the food of support 

 according to size, but doubts its application, practically, to 

 the production of milk ; and he illustrates it by reference 

 to three dairies: the first grade Short-horns, the second 

 natives, and the third Jerseys and their grades. He says : 



" The dairy of Mr. I. Boies, of Illinois [about 100 cows], is 



