1910.] The Danish System of Cattle Breeding. 999 



Red or Red-and-White Island breed. Both were milking 

 breeds, but small, and not well developed. In the first half 

 of the nineteenth century many attempts were made to 

 improve the national breeds by crossing with various foreign 

 breeds, but experience showed that better results were 

 obtained from the native breeds if only these were well 

 cared for. 



From the year 1870 the two national breeds have been kept 

 pure. They are the Jutland Dairy Cattle, which are chiefly 

 found in Jutland, and the Red Danish Dairy Cattle found 

 on the islands. There are, besides, a few other breeds, but 

 they are at present of little importance. The work of 

 improving the breeding of dairy cattle has been simplified by 

 the fact that attention could be centred on these two breeds, 

 each confined to its own district. 



Cattle Shows. — The first step taken to improve the cattle 

 was the introduction of cattle shows. These shows were 

 organised by the Agricultural Associations, while the State 

 gave a small grant towards the prizes. At first all breeds 

 and crosses competed together, and the judges simply picked 

 out the individuals that appeared to be the most typical 

 milkers. Later on the different breeds were kept separate, 

 and prizes were awarded for animals possessing the typical 

 characteristics of the breed. 



English example showed that individual breeders could 

 exercise the greatest influence on the general development 

 of the breed by supplying superior breeding animals to other 

 herds. This led to a change in the management of the 

 shows, and prizes were awarded not for single cows, but 

 for collections of cows bred by the exhibitor, the idea being 

 to point out to intending buyers of cattle the herds from 

 which they should buy. This change took place about 1870, 

 and the showing of collections of cows continues to the 

 present day. 



When, in the eighties, interest in the improvement' of 

 cattle-breeding became more general, the State gave further 

 assistance, and caused special shows for bulls over three 

 years old to be held. The object of these shows was to 

 encourage farmers to keep their good bulls for a longer time. 

 The effect has been striking; while in 1887 only 371 bulls 



