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any such sum. And as a great many of the most pro- 

 gressive dairymen are getting a great deal more than 

 that amount from their cows, it necessarily follows that 

 many more must be getting much less. Thereby 

 entailing a dead loss of money and time thrown away 

 in taking care of them. 



When we reflect that this poor showing is made from 

 what are called common or general purpose cows the 

 thought is forcibly suggested whether there could not 

 be a decided improvement made by adopting special 

 lines or branches in dairying, and breeding cows 

 adapted to such special service. I am aware that the 

 general impression is that a cow that will produce a 

 moderate amount of milk from which can be made a 

 fair amount of butter and cheese and will bring forth 

 a medium calf every year, and at the winding up of 

 her existence will yield a good carcass of old cow beef 

 for the canners, must of necessity be more profitable 

 than a special purpose cow that will bend all her ener- 

 gies in the production of a large amount of butter, 

 cheese or milk. The New England Farmer says that 

 the German farmers are discussing a question that 

 seems very similar, namely, whether large or small 

 breed cows are more profitable for milk purposes. 

 Starting from the term of eight or ten years during 

 which the keeping of a milk cow is remunerative, and 

 comparing the relative cost of their feeding and differ- 

 ence of live weight when finally slaughtered for 

 market, which of the two classes of cows will be on 

 the whole the most profitable to keep assuming the 

 yield of each to be equal? Take two cows whose live 

 weight is 8 and 12 cwt. respectively, after utilizing 

 their milking powers for eight or ten years, will the 

 superiority in live weight of 400 pounds when handed 



