30 



SELECTING A BKI;K llliKU 



Kerry Cattle. 



Tllis is a purr lirrcil, 

 natur ^t Ireland, ami ik-- 

 rived their name froni the 

 county of Kerry. Tliev arc 

 very popular in some parts 

 elf England, hut .as yet have 

 not been extensively mlro- 

 dnced into tlie L'nited 

 States. The qu.ality of their 

 milk is rich, almost equal to 

 that of Guernse\- and Jersey 

 in butter fat, and the\' give 

 a large quantity of milk for 

 their size. 



Kerry. 



An enthusiast on the subject of blooded stock, Dr. Roberts is 

 at all times ready to give any further information that may advance 

 this industry. 



SELECTING A BEEF HERD. 



In building up a herd fi'r lieef ]iroduction, select cows with a broad, deep and 

 square body, cows with a good coating of flesh, frjr these, if bred to the right 

 kind of bull, will produce calves that will prove profitable feeders. Now for the 

 bull. The bull is half the herd. He stamps his qualities on all calves — not 

 simply on one calf a year, as with the cow. 



Get a registered btdl of the breed you want, even if you have only grade cows, 

 as then you are sure you are getting a beef breed from beef ancestors. Select a bull 

 that is of good size, with a proud masculine bearing, a good intelligent head, broad 

 and full between the eyes, a short face, and strong, clear eyes, yet with a quiet 

 expression, as a nervous, excitable animal will never fatten to good advantage. 



He should be broad and straight across the back, with smooth, even hips. He 

 should have well sprung ribs, heavily covered with flesh. 



Cows should be bred so as to drop their calves in the early spring, and then 

 when the cows are turned to pasture the calves will lie old enough to go with them 

 thus giving them the advantage for making a rapid growth and requiring very 

 little attention during the busy summer months. 



When the calves arc a few weeks old, those not intended for breeding pur- 

 poses, should be castrated and the wound washed with germ killer to prevent in- 

 fections. 



In the fall the calves should be weaned anrl fed on good, nutritious food. 



This should consist of silage and roots, clover or alfalfa hay, corn, oats and 

 bran — w-ith daily allowance of some reliable Tonic tei aid digestion and promote a 

 quick growth. 



The age at which steers should be marketed depends largely on the market 

 prices, but as a rule well fed steers sell best at 14 to 16 months old. But if you 

 do not wish to dispose of your product as beef, then you should choose one of the 

 dairy instead of beef breeds of cattle. 



