144 STARTING A DAIRY HERD 



would likely have otherwise. The national and state associa- 

 tions representing the breed kept are more likely to send litera- 

 ture and lecturers. Another feature occasionally found highly 

 valuable is in the control of the character of the deals made by 

 some of the members, where the association guarantees stock sold 

 and expels members selling animals of known sterility or with 

 a disease. Siich has been found excellent advertising and highly 

 profitable to the farmers of the community. 



Disadvantages of Community Breeding. — Probably the 

 greatest single drawback to community effort is the possibility 

 of introducing and disseminating diseases, most particularly, 

 infectious abortion. Though this fact should be borne in mind 

 continually in purchasing and in exchanging sires, those com- 

 munities which have for five or more years carried on work of 

 this sort have not experienced serious difficulty. The incon- 

 venience and loss of time entailed in taking a cow some distance 

 for service are sufficient to deter some from joining the associa- 

 tion though often owning animals of the same breed. In some 

 communities exchanges are made between the indi-^ddual and the 

 associated breeders. The individual ownership of bulls has its 

 advantages. There is nothing to prevent the two systems work- 

 ing in harmony in the same community. The object especially 

 is to increase the number of high class animals as quickly as 

 possible ^vithout great exi^ense and then the organized selling of 

 surplus stock. 



Selection of the Individual Cow. — It must be ever remem- 

 bered by the breeders of livestock that the laws underlying repro- 

 duction are at best but poorly understood and difficult of control. 

 After all the care has been taken which would seem possible or 

 wise, individual members of the herd will, for reasons apparent 

 or obscure, fail to develop into sufficiently profitable cows. The 

 wise dairymen will watch for these variations, both that he may 

 eliminate the inferior, and that he may increase his herd from 

 the most valuable animals. 



Variation is opportunity for progress, but the inferior indi- 

 vidual must not be used as a propagator of others or the opportun- 

 ity will be lost. While the causes of variation are obscure, the 

 fact of variation is evident. 



