448 CATTLE 



difficult to classify a large percentage of the animals other than of 

 dual-purpose type. 



Two classes of dual-purpose cattle are common — one rather 

 beefy in character, with inferior udders, the other lean and mus- 

 cular, with strong dairy-type indications. Every large show of 

 dual-purpose breeds contains good representations of these two 

 classes. For example, the Devon, a dual-purpose breed, contains 

 the two classes in a marked degree. The dairy sort is more 

 popular in the Eastern states, the beef in the West. The same 

 applies to a certain extent also to the Red Polled breed, though 

 perhaps not to so great a degree as with the Devon. In the 

 Shorthorn breed we have the most approved beef type of cattle, 

 while a dual-purpose type of Shorthorn, with strong dairy ten- 

 dencies, is very common in England and not rare in America. 

 In 19 1 4 the writer watched the judging of the dairy Shorthorns 

 at the Royal Agricultural Society of England Show at Shrews- 

 bury, said to have been up to that time the largest exhibit of this 

 class ever seen. Here the animals placed first and second were 

 beautiful large beefy-looking cows with udders of great size and 

 apparent capacity. On one occasion the secretary of the dairy 

 branch of " Coates's Herdbook," in reply to an inquiry as to 

 just what was most desirable in a milking Shorthorn, replied that 

 he wished as much natural beef conformation as possible, coupled 

 with great milk-producing capacity. That should logically be the 

 aim, and the policy of some breeders to emphasize a type of 

 dual-purpose cattle that are in fact true dairy cattle is neither 

 consistent nor desirable. Such breeders might better center their 

 interest on dairy cattle altogether if they are unwilling to give 

 due recognition to beef values. By combining beef and milk in 

 a really noteworthy degree the dual purpose is secured. Minus 

 the one or the other the animal must be classed with the beef 

 or dairy type. Many farmers greatly prefer a type of cow pro- 

 ductive of a liberal supply of milk, that will fatten easily to meet 

 the demands of the butcher, and will also produce calves which 

 will feed into superior veals or steers. In regions where dairying 

 is not a specialty the dual-purpose type is quite commonly seen in 

 the Shorthorn of milking strain. Notwithstanding the frequency 

 with which cattle of this type are seen, there are comparatively 



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