198 ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



quiet he breeds six or eight heifers between the age of fifteen 

 months and two years, has chances of becoming a great sire are 

 somewhat lessened. Between the age of two and three years he 

 should not be allowed to serve more than twenty or thirty cows. 

 The common practice is to use bulls too young and discard them 

 at the first indication of their having a little too much vigor by 

 resenting the ill treatment which they are often given. Bulls 

 properly grown, not put to service too young, and treated kindly, 

 yet in a safe manner, are most valuable between the age of three 

 years and the time they become inserviceable, which may not be 

 before they are fifteen or eighteen years of age. After they 

 reach an age to have daughters which prove their worth as 

 getters of high producers, they become illustrious sires and are 

 invaluable. Nor should their daughters be forced into service 

 too young. A heifer needs time to grow and build a body and a 

 constitution which will be equal to heavy work and endurance 

 until she is twelve or fifteen years of age. Too many of our 

 cows are small, delicate and short lived, owing to motherhood 

 being forced upon them too young. Two years of age is plenty 

 young for any heifer to produce her first calf. The age of thirty 

 months may be considered better. 



Having regard to the proper mating of animals, after we 

 have fixed in mind the fundamental principles relating to live 

 stock improvement, constitutes the art of breeding. Results 

 come from mating through the great law that like produce like. 

 Every line of blood carries with it certain tendencies and charac- 

 teristics, and by the use of that blood we can expect these ten- 

 dencies and characteristics to be transmitted. 



In pure-bred animals these tendencies and characteristics 

 have been more or less firmly fixed through years of established 

 breeding, hence the value of pure-bred animals as compared with 

 grades and the necessity for using pure-bred sires. It should be 

 remembered, however, that there are many pure-bred animals 

 which are no better than grades or common natives. In many 

 instances pure-bred animals are improperly developed, or per- 

 haps they are the result of mating young heifers and young bulls 



