606 



Dairy Cattle in Denmark. 



[Oct., 



to her progeny. The next step forward, and a most important 

 advance, was made when it was ascertained from the records 

 of the milk recording societies that the capacity to yield large 

 quantities of milk having a high percentage of fat could also be 

 passed on through the bull to his progeny with different 

 cows. The bull, as it is truly said, is half the herd. It there- 

 fore became of the first importance to find which bulls had a 

 beneficial and which an adverse influence in respect of yield 

 of milk and butter, and particularly so if this kv.ovAedge could 

 he obtained while the hull was still alive and in vigour for 

 breeding. This, fortunately, could be done, because before the 

 inauguration of milk recording societies it had already become 

 a general practice to keep bulls for service for a number of 

 years, and even as far as it was then possible, to judge the bulls 

 hy an examination of their offspring. 



By the Law on Breeding of Domestic Animals, of 1887, the 

 Government made an annual grant of £1,500 for prizes for 

 hulls at District Agricultural Shows, to be awarded only to 

 bulls more than three years old. By the Law of 1902 the 

 •amount was increased to -£3,750 for prizes to be awarded at 

 State Shows."* It was a condition that the bulls for which 

 prizes were awarded were to be kept for service in the country 

 at least until 1st May in the following year. It was 

 a further condition that bulls five years old or older 

 should be judged through their offspring. Special shows of 

 the offspring were to be held before the State Shows according 

 to the following rules :f for bulls five years old or older, which 

 had been serving in the district for at least 2J years, ten des- 

 cendants must be shown; for bulls above six years of age, 

 3 years in the district, twelve descendants; for bulls above 

 seven years of age, 4 years in the district, fourteen descendants; 

 the young stock must be at least one year old and three of 

 them may be bulls ; of descendants of bulls over six years of age, 

 three, and for bulls over seven years of age four must be 



* A special Commission is appointed by the Minister of Agriculture to 

 manage the State Shows for Stallions four years old or older and for Bulls 

 three years old or older. The country is divided into 13 Show-districts. In 

 each district is a Committee for Stallion Shows and another for Bull Shows. 

 The Agricultural Societies appoint the other members, generally two to each 

 of these Committees, and the Minister appoints the Chairman. The Chairmen 

 of these Committees, together with the Government Live Stock Com- 

 missioners, form the State Show Connnission under a Chairman appointed by 

 the Minister. The Government defrays all the expenses of prizes at these 

 shows, which are generally held every year in each district. These State 

 Shows are now regulated by the Law of 8th June, 1912. 



f These rules were slightly altered in later years, and moi-e offspring are 

 (required to be shown. 



