FIFTY-SECOND ANNUAL CONVENTION 191 



these heifers come fresh, sell off the lowest producers. 

 Where this method of improving a herd is followed, a very 

 efficient herd can be built up in a few years. I have fol- 

 lowed this method of improvement for nearly twenty-one 

 years. Some of the cows raised in this way have averaged 

 nearly 3,000 pounds of milk, more than their dams have 

 produced. 



The herd from which we built our herd averaged only 

 3,500 pounds of milk and 190 pounds of butter fat. In 

 three years' time, the average production of the herd was 

 increased to 8,000 pounds of milk and 307 pounds of but- 

 ter fat. 



In building up a good dairy herd, the first essential 

 is to decide which one of the dairy breeds you want to 

 keep and then put a sire of exceptionally good breeding at 

 the head of the herd. This is very important, since the 

 sirei is more than one-half of the herd. Whatever improve- 

 ment is made in milk and butter fat production of the 

 daughters over their dams must come from the sire. Im- 

 provement cannot come from any other source except from 

 the sire. 



In selecting a sire, attention should be given not only 

 to the individuality of the bull, but his dams should have 

 very good milk and butter fat records for four or five 

 generations back of him if you expect to make very much 

 improvement in the herd. 



There are five leading dairy breeds and they are all 

 good. If a record of production of each individual cow is 

 kept and only the best cows retained in the herd, it will 

 make very little difference which breed you have. 



» Some of the factors to be taken into consideration in 

 deciding which particular dairy breed you want, are: 



1. Breed of cattle most common in the community. 



2. Form in which product is to be marketed. 



3. Average production of milk and fat. 



4. Original cost and probable demand for surplus 

 stock. 



5. Preference of the breeder. 



