456 
DAIRY FARMING. 
circumstances will permit, and acts as a powerful induce- 
ment to breed carefully, and get a name for turning out 
thriving beasts, good specimens of the breed to which they 
belong. 
Selection of a Bull . — The surprising influence for good 
which the male of pure descent, whatever the breed, exercises 
on the quality and character of the future offspring being 
now well understood, no effort should be spared to procure 
purely-bred bulls, and on no consideration should a cross- 
bred animal be used. The extra price is not worth a thought, 
as by the time the progeny of the pure-bred bull have reached 
the age of twelvemonths they will have paid not only the 
difference between the pure and the cross but the entire value 
of their sire, and that without either extra feeding or atten- 
tion. No difficulty need be, experienced in getting breeding 
animals of the right stamp, as they are pretty equally distri- 
buted ; but should it happen that a little trouble is necessary, 
it should be cheerfully undertaken. No amount of care will 
make up for want of breeding; and it is most unpleasant for 
those in attendance to be putting good food in bad skins, 
knowing, as they well do, that the results to their employer 
can never be anything but unsatisfactory. When the stock 
are crossed, no home-bred bull should be used on any pre- 
tence whatever, however well-looking he may be ; however 
compact in frame, or hardy of constitution ; or however well 
descended he may happen to be from animals of rare milking 
property — all should be overlooked, and the beast got rid of, 
as if used the stock will recede instead of progressing. Breed- 
ing from cross-bred bulls destroys uniformity ; the cows 
become unshapely, losing the fine level back, finely sprung 
rib, and general squareness of body, which are so eminently 
the characteristics of purely-bred cattle. They are also much 
larger consumers of food — a consideration no one can afford 
to overlook — very soon after passing their prime, getting a 
ragged and uneven appearance, and requiring a very large 
amount of food to keep them at all in decent condition. At 
the present day there is no difficulty in procuring young 
Shorthorn bulls of pure descent, and at prices within the 
reach of men of very moderate means indeed. This blood 
being now so universally diffused over the kingdom, and pos- 
sessed by those who have the good sense neither to pamper 
nor over-feed, rearing their young stock in exactly the same 
way as they are likely to be treated by those who purchase 
them for breeding purposes, a great boon has been conferred 
on all stock farmers of limited capital. Bulls reared in this 
way are not only to be had for far less money than those 
