Formation of a Dairy Herd 53 
animals, constant care must be used in the selection 
and breeding. 
‘In the formation of a dairy herd one of the first 
questions to be considered is the choice of a breed, 
and whether the herd shall be made up of pure-bred or 
grade animals. There are several well-known breeds 
of dairy cattle in the United States, each having dis- 
tinct qualities, and each having strong partizans. 
While, undoubtedly, some breeds are better fitted for 
certain conditions of soil and climate than are others, 
still the matter of the choice of a breed may well be 
left to individual preference. In almost any location 
one may choose a breed for which he. has a strong 
liking, either real or fancied, and be assured that he 
can establish with it a successful herd. Jerseys, 
Guernseys, Holsteins, Ayrshires, Swiss, Devons, Red 
Polls, and even Shorthorns, make a varied and fairly 
long list of breeds from which to select. 
Pure breds and grades.—Whether purely bred or 
grade animals should be selected is a matter upon 
which there may be more difference of opinion. By 
purely bred animals are meant those that are recorded 
in the herd books of their respective breeds. This is 
the narrow, restricted sense of the term “pure bred,” 
but it is the one in common use in this country. A 
grade animal is the offspring of a pure-bred sire and 
a common or grade dam. The offspring of a pure- 
bred sire and a common or “scrub” dam, is called a 
half-blood; the offspring of a pure-bred sire and a 
half-blood dam is called a three-quarter-blood; a 
three-quarter-blood in turn bred to a pure-bred sire 
