NOV. 28 
83 o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
there are so many exceptions that I should not consider 
even that a safe indication. Good milkers may be of 
almost any type, from the raw-boned, slab sided, razor- 
backed genus, to the round, smooth, compact little Devon, 
or the massive Short-horn. You can have good, bad or in¬ 
different milkers with any form you like. 
J. MCLAIN SMITH. 
The Holstein Men Talk. 
We are breeding our Holsteins for milk and butter, and 
making combination crosses, and think we are successful. 
As to the results in breeding for the block, we have had no 
experience to speak of. This summer we have fed Mer¬ 
cedes 2nd, a daughter of Mercedes, famous for her butter 
record, and she has made 26 pounds 13 ounces of butter in 
seven days, and proved herself first class as a dairy cow. 
Last May we dried her off and fed her in the same way 
as the cows in milk, and to our satisfaction she has proved 
herself to be a beef as well as a dairy cow. Any animal 
We wished to learn more about the matter, and, there¬ 
fore, sent the following questions to a number of the best- 
known American live-stock breeders: a portion of the 
answers are printed here, others are to follow. We shall 
also give full particulars concerning the results of this 
feeding test, next week, when the rest of the pictures are 
printed: _ 
Some Leading Questions. 
1. Will individuals that are good milkers also prove 
economical feeders for the block ? 
2. As compared with others of the same age, would the 
feeding powers of an animal for meat production be in¬ 
jured by a season’s milking ? i. e., will the milking habit 
Jn jure an individual for subsequent production of meat ? 
3. Will it injure the future milking powers of an animal 
if its tendency to lay on flesh is encouraged before coming 
into milk ? 
4. In fitting for the block is there any difference between 
the so-called milk and meat 
types in the matter of 
ness of flesh ’ 
or “internal 
animals of the “beef type” will be found to come from 
some of the well-known “ beef breeds,” and those of the 
“milk type” from some of the “milk breeds”—in other 
words, the “ type” depends entirely upon the “ breed.” 
1. In no Instance. Individuals that yield a large quan¬ 
tity of milk often fatten easily when dried up, but if it 
were possi ble to fatten thoroughly a cow while giving a large 
flow, it would be at the expense of the bin. If the food 
consumed, after sustaining the cow, goes to the produc¬ 
tion of milk, it is not applied to the laying on of flesh, 
and vice versa. 
2. Partially answered above. Neither a season’s milking 
—for the largest yield—nor a succession of such seasons 
to a reasonable age will prevent the ultimate conversion 
of the animal into good beef. 
- 3. Any Influence that tends 
to the production of beef— 
flesh with fat enough to con- 
'**’ stitute good meat—will mili- 
tate against the flow of milk, 
and vice versa, and such in- 
fluence will have greater effect 
j n the formative period, before 
maturity or maternity. 
L 4. Almost invariably the 
'HyifTe&kTWs&tti&BOCBBsu cuts of the carcasses of the 
are thicker, and 
‘thick- _ 
or of “external” 
fat? 
5. Could the types be dis¬ 
tinguished after the animals 
are slaughtered and hung up, fcSgjSpr’ 
providing all are equally well <£■ 
6. State the points of differ- 
7. If in your opinion there is 
a constitutional difference, | * 
does it necessarily affect both Bet^ 
sexes T That is, could a race | 
be bred in which the females 
should be of the milk type 
possessing the milk tendency 
in excess, and the males be 
clearly of the meat type ? 
From a Red Polled Breeder’s Standpoint. 
I have not seen the full official report of the Michigan 
experiment. What I have seen indicated merely that 
individual differences, in this case, were more important 
than breed or race differences. But a single experiment 
does not justify any general conclusions, though it may 
point the way to further tests. 
To say that, for feeding purposes, steers of a “beef type” 
will give far better returns than those of the “ milking 
type” is, it seems to me, to build a large structure on a 
small foundation. In the first place, I am not sure that I 
know what the “ milking type” means. The expression is 
freely used by writers for the press, but generally In a 
loose way, indicating merely a cow which shows no ten¬ 
dency to lay on flesh. In this sense, of course, a steer of 
the “milking type’’would prove a poor feeder; but are 
cows of this type the best milkers ? There certainly are 
no facts, available to the public, which even tend to 
prove it. 
So far as my own observation and reading extend, the 
only common characteristic of good milkers, so far as 
form is concerned, is the general prevalence of a wedge 
shape, or comparatively light fore-quarters. But I have 
never heard that this was objectionable in a steer. On the 
other hand, inferior specimens are usually too light in the 
hind end. I venture to say no one ever saw an Inferior 
animal, from a feeder’s or butcher’s standpoint, that was 
particularly heavy in the loin, deep in the flank and full 
In the thigh. 
Extremely light fore-quarters would indicate lack of con¬ 
stitution ; and to that extent would be objectionable either 
in a steer or a cow. But 999 in 
a 1,000 of the inferior steers one ----— 
sees fail in the opposite direc¬ 
tion. They have too large a 
proportion of weight in the 
front end. j/Sp 
1. The desirability of a gen- . ^ 
eral purpose cow for' the'gen¬ 
eral farmer does not result 
from her own value to the ' X A 
butcher; but from the value / 
of her calves. A cow that V 
No4 
Wali o H 
v.t \ :>Vcv v. 
meat, “marbling it,” and the 
quantity of “external and in¬ 
ternal fat” is more nearly 
equalized. As far as my observation goes, when cattle of 
the “ milk breeds ” are thoroughly fatted, there is an ex¬ 
cess of “internal fat,” and I venture the suggestion that 
from this fact arises the prevalence of “milk fever” among 
such of them as are in high flesh at calving time. 
5. I think they could, granting it is practicable to fatten 
equally well two animals, one representative of the “beef” 
and the other of the “ milk breed.” 
6. In addition to those mentioned in answer to the fourth 
question, the carcasses of the “beef breed,” in whatever 
shape presented, would reveal au excess of flesh in the 
more desirable and profitable parts. 
7. All constitutional differences affect both sexes. It 
would be impossible to breed males of the “beef type” 
and females of the “milk type.” Prepotency of blood 
would prevail, and in the end both sexes develop in excess 
the characteristics of the sire or dam. It will be granted > 
it is impossible to differentiate the mental endowments of 
the sexes in the human species—to found a house, where 
all the men shall be skillful doctors and unable to master 
aught of art, and all the women artists without the 
capacity of comprehending anything of medicine. What 
hops can there be then of developing a breed of animals, 
MEAT OF WALTON. A’, “ Milk Type ’* Holstein 
that is a great milker must have a good appetite and fine 
digestive powers to produce milk, and what else is required 
to produce meat ? chas. robinson & son. 
1. Many individual cows have proved superior for both 
milk and the block, combining the milk and beef forms, 
although, as a rule, the best milkers are not of the most 
perfect type for beef. 
2. We think the milking habit would not injure the in¬ 
dividual for the future production of meat, excepting that 
some bone would be needed to build up the tissues which 
had been consumed or reduced by milking; hence time 
and feed would be lost, if the beef only were taken into 
account. 
3. Individuals which are kept very fleshy when young- 
especial ly as calves—are seldom as good milkers as they 
would have been if they had been kept only in good 
healthy, growing condition—not fleshy. 
4. Our experience is not such as to enable us to answer. 
5. We think not, although we have given very little at¬ 
tention to this matter. 
6. We cannot state any difference, excepting that which 
is observed in the formation of distinct breeds. 
7. The intelligent breeder can mould the breeds of ani¬ 
mals under his charge almost as the artist moulds his 
clay. He can by careful selection and judicious breeding 
convert any breed of cattle into a beef or dairy breed 
according to his will, and although the task would be an 
exceedingly difficult one, we are inclined to think that the 
beef tendency might be developed in the male, while the 
milking qualities are increased in the female. 
SMITHS & POWELL. 
I must say that 1 am not very familiar with the experl- Country Gentleman, says 
Table Scraps , 
deaux Mixture, I notice that 
my apples this year show scarce- 
ly a trace °* worms in com¬ 
parison with those in my neigh¬ 
bors’ orchards where the propor 
tion of wormy fruit is very 
large. I syringed but once with 
London purple, one pound to 
200 gallons of water. The result 
is unquestionably favorable by contrast with unsyriEged 
orchards. I have already reported very favorably for 
copperas as a remedy for anthracnose. It has eradicated 
every sign of that pest from my vineyards. By the way, 
do not mistake copperas for one of the copper mixtures. 
I see so good an authority as Meehan’s new monthly makes 
the mistake. Copperas is sulphate of iron. Use 10 pounds 
to a barrel of water. Swab the vines by using a fponge 
on a stick, while the leaves are off. I am immensely 
grateful for the remedy, as my vines were suffering ruin¬ 
ously. 
Tree Butchering.— I wish every fruit grower would 
read twice over what D. W. Adams says on page 800 of 
The Rural about pruning trees. Tree butchering is the 
A “Beef-Milk Type” Holstein 
ments made by Prof. Davenport, of the Michigan Agri¬ 
cultural College, and would not care to comment on them; 
but I willingly answer the questions sent me by The R. 
N.-Y. 
1. Good milkers after becoming dry, can be fed with 
profit and make good beef. 2. I think not. 3. Yes. 4. I 
am not familiar enough with the methods of fitting ani¬ 
mals for the block to answer definitely. 5. I should say 
not. 6. I know of no difference. 7. In my opinion, It 
would be quite Impossible to breed a race of cattle in 
which the females would be great milkers and the males 
clearly of the beef type. In my opinion the Holstein- 
Friesian or Dutch cattle come nearer to being a general- 
purpose breed than any other, for the reason that they 
are great milkers and at the same time the steers make 
fair beeves and the dry cows fatten readily and attain 
great weight. The calves make more and better veal at a our 
given age than those of any other breed. rare 
Sec. Holstein-Friesian Ass. thos B. wales. moi 
The “Type” Is Fixed by the Breed. abs< 
The extent of my knowledge touching the feeding ex- mai 
periment conducted by Professor Davenport of the Michi- thei 
gan Experiment Station i R confined to what I bave read in tio 
