'^TAtE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



replied by saying that for a long time he was at loss to know 

 why this had been done, but one day he met a Scotchman and 

 asked him the same question, and the Scotchman replied by 

 saying: '' Don't you understand? Haven't you read the Scrip- 

 tures ? Haven't you read how that Samson, was strong when 

 he had his hair long and how he lost his strength when they cut 

 it off." So you see, the extremely orthodox Scotchman con- 

 ceived the idea that when he had long hair on the legs of his 

 horse he had strength in his horse. Here is a sample of ignorance 

 and there has been much of it in the breeding of all of our 

 domestic animals. Of this I am fully persuaded. While we 

 say this, let it be understood that we recognize the fact that in 

 the past we have had some great breeders in the old country, 

 but as in the case of Bates and Booth, they regarded their knowl- 

 edge as a trade secret, and died with their mouths closed, with- 

 out leaving anyone the better for the knowledge that they had 

 obtained from a long and successful experience. 



I will close this talk with one more statement and then leave 

 the article which we shall furnish to your Secretary to give the 

 complete detail of this subject matter which I urge upon your 

 attention. I have a friend who is today at the head of one of 

 the Experiment Stations of the Great West. He spent the sum- 

 mer of 1906 in England. At my request he looked up carefully 

 the quality of milking Shorthorns as found in the dairy districts 

 of England. Upon his return he made report to me. In sub- 

 stance the report contained the following statements : 



1. The Shorthorns of England in the dairy districts show 

 some of the finest dairy quality that can be found in any breed. 



2. The men who are pursuing dairying with the Shorthorn 

 cattle of England, never used the registered full-blood Shorthorn 

 sires at the head of their herd. They say that if they do they 

 will lose their milk. Now, the reason for this experience lies 

 in this, that the standard for registry for Shorthorn cattle in 

 England is the beef standard. My friend told me that they did 

 not understand as well as many American breeders do, the laws 

 which govern this loss of milk, but experience had taught them 

 that. 



