310 MANUAL OF FARM ANIMALS 



by the time it is 6 months of age, there should be no difficulty in 

 realizing a handsome profit, providing, of course, that the prod- 

 ucts are marketed to advantage (Fig. 96). 



Instead of procuring dual-purpose strains of cattle, some 

 persons suggest breeding the dairy cows to a beef bull, thus 

 producing a half-blood beef animal. They recommend the 



following plan : Since a good 

 cow, properly cared for, may be 

 profitably milked for a period of 

 six to eight years, during which 

 time she is likely to produce 

 three or four heifer calves, only 

 one-third to one-fourth of the 

 cows need be bred to a dairy 

 bull; or the breeding of the 

 ^ „^ ^ -, _ entire herd to a dairy bull once 



Fio. 9C. — The Shorthorn Cow 



"Rose of Glenside." The dairy in three or four years IS sufn- 

 type. From March, 1909, to ^ient to maintain the dairy herd. 



March, 1910, she gave 18,072 , ,, , , •,,,/■ 



pounds of milk containing 625 All other calves are available for 

 pounds of fat. Owned by May & jjgef production and should be 



Otis, Granville Center, Pa. Ex- . i , , r i n n i i 



ample of a dual-purpose cow. Sired by a beef bull. Such a plan 



is likely to encounter practical 

 difficulties that would render its serviceability doubtful. It 

 would no doubt result in the production of calves of little value 

 to maintain a dairy herd and with doubtful value as feeding 

 cattle. It would also be extremely hazardous to attempt to 

 maintain a dairy herd with onlj' one-fourth to one-third of 

 the calves to select from. 



Uniformity. — Lack of uniformity is one of the greatest faults 

 connected with breeding common cattle. As it is now, each 

 locality is producing cattle of a number of types and breeds. 

 Such cattle are not desirable feeding animals, as they will 

 not finish or fatten evenly and must be sent to market 

 lacking in uniformity in type, color, weight, quality, and con- 



