TRANSACTIONS OF SUB-SECTION K. 70] 
milking breeds, the black and white Jutland and the red Danish dairy cattle, 
became important and of interest to almost all farmers. 
The work of improving cattle breeding in Denmark being, as explained, 
of fairly recent date, has been gradually developed in two quite distinct 
directions. Some features cf the work aim at encouraging breeders to 
develop herds possessing the most valuable qualities of the breed, while 
other features aim at the better utilisation of the breeding animals from 
these superior herds for the improvement of the cattle breeding in general. 
For the first purpose cattle shows and ‘selection of breeding centres’ 
haye been found useful, while Cattle Breeders’ Associations and Control 
Unions have helped in the other direction. 
Cattle shows began about the middle of last century. At first all breeds 
and crosses competed together; from the ’sixties there were separate classes 
for the different breeds. 
About the year 1870 the classes for single cows were discontinued and 
prizes offered instead for collections of cows bred by the exhibitor, a feature 
which is still considered very important, the idea being to draw atten- 
tion to the best herds, which can more safely be done when a collection 
and not a single individual is shown. In 1887 the State caused to be held 
special shows for bulls over three years old for the purpose of encouraging 
farmers to keep the good bulls for a longer time. The result has been 
striking, the number of old bulls shown having increased from 371 to over 
1,200. A special Danish feature has been introduced with these shows, viz., 
judging the bulls through their offspring, inasmuch as no prize is awarded 
for bulls over five years old unless their offspring, which must be judged 
before the show, have been found satisfactory. This entails a good deal of 
work, but has been found very useful. 
The judges at shows take into consideration not only the points of the 
exhibited animal but also, in the case of bulls, the pedigree, including 
information of the milk production of the dam, and, in the case of cows, the 
milk production (quantity and quality). 
Selection of breeding centres, in other words a systematic selection of the 
best herds, which then receive an official recognition as ‘ Breeding Centres,’ 
is another special Danish feature introduced in 1884. The herds are entered 
for a competition which is carried on during two whole years by a committee 
of judges who visit the herds on the farms five or six times, while assistants 
on every twentieth day during the two years visit each of the competing 
herds, weigh the milk of each cow, test its percentage of fat, weigh the 
fodder given to each cow, and draw up the family herd book, in which the 
whole herd is arranged according to maternal descent, each animal being 
described with its sire and dam, milk production and prizes. At the end of 
two years’ testing the committee of judges have acquired reliable informa- 
tion as to the value for use and for breeding of the different herds. The best 
herds are then designated as ‘ Breeding Centres,’ with the result that the 
demand is increased for breeding animals from these herds at enhanced 
prices. A full report of the result of the two years’ competition is pub- 
lished. 
The Cattle Breeders’ Association have for their principal aim the 
purchase of a good bull. The first association was formed in 1883. From 
the first these associations paid attention also to the cows and to the health 
of the herds ; they required also accounts kept of the feeding and the yield of 
the individual cows. From 1887 the State gave a yearly grant which helped 
the movement on. There are now 1,300 Cattle Breeders’ Associations with 
1,500 bulls, the State giving 8/. per annum per bull on condition that the 
bulls have taken prizes, that the committee select the best cows of the 
members to be served by the bull, and that the committee at least once a 
year inspect the herds on the farms as to the state of health. 
Much difficulty was experienced in keeping accounts of the food supplied 
