52 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



C. C. BUELL'S PAPER. 



" The best method of improving and supplying the dairy. The dif- 

 ferent breeds and their ^adaptation for dairy purposes." 



The objective point in the dairy business, so far as the dairy herd is 

 concerned, is to secure a large quantity and the best quality of milk. Griven 

 the quantity the quality is the controling consideration. Given the quality 

 the quantity takes lead. Further, the kind of product, whether butter or 

 cheese, or both, enters as an important element into the problem. Nothing 

 has been more clearly demonstrated than this: that there is a marked difference 

 in the milk of individual cows, and an equally marked difference in the milk 

 from different breeds of cows; some cows give a quality of milk especially 

 adapted to make cheese ; others are emphatically butter cows. The same 

 is true of breeds ; the milk of the Ayrshire cow has long ranked very high 

 for cheese making ; the milk of the Jersey cow is unrivaled for butter. 



These statements suggest the line of our argument. The dairy herd 

 can only be improved by breeding from superior individual cows, and from 

 superior herds of cattle, for the kind of business carried on. As sure as 

 like produces like, so sure will improvement follow. In the application of 

 this view no one need go astray. The principles of correct practice in 

 breeding, are well established. One is, never to use any but thoroughbred 

 males ; any others, no matter how fine in form or how perfect in other 

 indications, are uncertain ; to use such an animal at any price will not pay. 

 Not only use only thoroughbred males of the breed selected, but use only 

 such as are brought by dams of marked perfection. We should consider 

 not only -'the quantity and quality of milk produced by the dam, form, size, 

 and disposition, but also size of the teats and style of milking^ whether 

 easy and graceful, or hard, and a stripper besides, perhaps ; we have seen 

 thoroughbred cows of perfect pedigree and high valuation, which we would 

 not receive into our herd for actual use in exchange for many a scrub cow 

 held at not one-fourth the value ; he would not use a male descended from 

 such a cow no matter how perfect the pedigree. 



To secure a dairy herd for profit through actual performance at the 

 pail, we know of no better foundation than selections from common stocky 

 or the grades of other breeds. The cows descended from such stock, sired 

 by a male of a milking breed of cattle, will, as a rule, possess the character- 

 istics of the male side of the family, and be really good dairy animals. 

 There will be exceptions : a percentage of poor cows ; as indeed there is 

 among thoroughbreds themselves, which should be at once discarded from 



