19*21. J 



Breeding i or Milk. 



771 



These striking results may be expressed in another way. 

 The figures show that one-half of pedigree bulls when classi- 

 fied on the basis of a progeny test got daughters inferior to 

 their dams. That is to say, it was an even chance (before the 

 performance of his daughters was ascertained) whether any 

 one of these bulls would justify his pedigree or his retention 

 for stock purposes. 



Similarly, when these bulls were tested by their effect on the 

 butter fat in the milk of their daughters it was found that roughly 

 one-half produced daughters with a higher yield of butter fat 

 than their dams had given. Lastly, when both factors were 

 taken into consideration, total yield and butter fat percentage, 

 only 28 Jersey sires qualified as having produced daughters 

 superior to their dams, in respect bath of yield of milk and of 

 butter fat percentage. Stated briefly, the evidence from 

 Denmark, confirmed by evidence from America, proves conclu- 

 sively that breeding for milk based on considerations of pedigree 

 only is unsafe and should be supplemented by the progeny test. 

 That valuable results can be obtained by following considera- 

 tions of pedigree, the progress made in breeding for milk in 

 this country is some evidence, but a point has now been 

 reached when the test of progeny must be applied if further 

 progress is to be made. 



The Ministry already publishes annually a Register of Dairy 

 Cows* officially certified as having yielded a prescribed quantity 

 of milk per annum, and is now considering the desirability of 

 instituting a Register of Dairy Bulls, in one section of which 

 would be recorded bulls having not less than two daughters 

 entered in the Register of Dairy Cows. The benefits of such 

 a register would be lost unless breeders abandon the general 

 practice of slaughtering bulls before the performance of their 

 daughters can be ascertained. Many breeders object, for 

 various reasons, to keeping an aged bull, but none of the 

 objections usually advanced should be permitted to outweigh 

 the undoubted advantages that would result from the continued 

 breeding from bulls which, by the performances of their 

 daughters, have shown that they are prepotent in milk quali- 

 ties. This, essentially, was the method by which the great 

 breeders of the past, Bates and others, improved the existing 

 beef breeds of cattle. Its extension to the milking breeds offers 

 no difficulties worth consideration. 



****** 



* Sec p. 861 of this Journal. 



A 2 



