ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 
41 
uality; and there is reason to believe that some importers have been governed by the 
ame consideration, and had more of an eye to speculation than to introducing better 
lood. So the marking and general appearance are right, a lack of inherent value, or 
ven of pure blood, counts for little. What they want is animals to sell. Their ex- 
ibition stock is all right, and is expected to sell the inferior animals. Hence but 
omparatively few purchasers get stock that equals the show r animals of those they 
urchase from. It is important, therefore, to distinguish between the honest breeder 
nd the speculator, and then to keep your eyes open and wits about you in selecting 
our purchases. Prepotency does not all run to good qualities; it perpetuates and in- 
ensifies the evil as well as the good. 
A fatal error has run through all the breeding of the past, among dairymen, 
nd is still very generally continued. It is a lack of proper selection of males to breed 
rom. If a dairyman has an extra good cow, he is pretty sure to save her heifer 
alves, which very seldom turn out to be as good as the dam. The cow herself may 
ie an accident, and greatly lack the power to impress her good qualities on her off- 
pring. Added to this is the fact that one-half of the blood in the offspring may be 
hat of a villainous scrub male, and s almost always that of an inferior or very indif- 
erent bull. The cow alone is depended on to give value to the calf. As well plant 
?om Thumb pop-coin for a field crop and expect a big yield of dent corn, as to use a 
crub bull on a superior cow and expect a valuable offspring. Like produces like, 
mder favorable conditions; but when the conditions are bad and one-half of the pro¬ 
ductive energy is unlike the other, what can you expect, at best, but a mule or a mon- 
jel, and that of an inferior grade? 
Too much attention cannot be paid to the selection of a male. He is onr-lialf of 
he herd. His blood is one-half of that coursing through the veins of the offspring. 
[Lis fact is favorable to the improvement of herds. The superior male impresses his 
uperiority on all of his progeny. This one animal, properly selected, secures im- 
•rovement, and so long as the male is superior, the improvement will go on. If he is 
nferior, there will just as surely be degeneration. This is the whole thing in a nut- 
hell. Plant the right kind of seed, and you will have the right kind of crop. But if 
he soil is poor, it will be a poor crop ; if good, it will be a good crop. -Just so in 
needing. If you use the right kind of male blood, you will have the right kind of off¬ 
ering. If the dam is inferior, the offspring will be inferior to the sire; if the dam is 
uperior, then the offspring will be superior, or at least equal, to the parents. The 
iffspring of a superior bull, when the dam is inferior, will be, as a rule, superior to 
he dam. There is always improvement or degeneracy on the side of the male, just as • 
he male is superior or inferior to the dam. 
It is all-important, therefore, that the bull should be not only of a well-established 
need, but of a well-established family of that breed, so that his get will be true to the 
ype of the family as well as to the type of the breed. 
If both the sire and the dam are of this character, there is little difficulty or dan¬ 
ger in perpetuating the good qualities of both, if all the conditions are favorable, 
fou have but to continue to breed together the best, avoiding for breeding purposes 
ill animals showing a tendency to weakness, offsetting the weak point on one side 
vich the same point strong on the other—and not only will the herd be kept up to the 
standard with which you began, but the chances are that there will be improvement. 
!f better blood is at any time introduced, it will surely make improvement,—but have 
treat care about crossing. A bad cross will ruin all. But do not be afraid of in- 
ireeding, however close, so long as you make proper selection. This is the u>ay in 
vhich types are fixed and breeds established—every pure-bred Shorthorn, or Devon, 
>r Ayrshire, or other pure-bred animal, traces its pedigree to the same sire and dam. 
Breeds may be established in this way, or by crossing other blood on animals of a 
?trong tvpe, as was done on the farm of the King of Wurtemburg. Black-and-white 
iattle from Friesland were bred for whiteness until all the offspring were snow- 
vhite. Then on these were crossed at different times, two classes of Limburgers, 
Doth small, both giving very rich milk and a large quantity for the size of the animal. 
These were cream-colored.' Schwytzers, which had for several years been in-bred on 
Le King’s farm, were also crossed on the white Friesians. The Schwytzers were dark 
Drown, line-backed, of large size, strongly built and great milkers. Two other crosses 
were pure-bred Alderneys and Jerseys. 
Here is quite a formidable mixture; but it was so managed that the Friesians re¬ 
fined their size and whiteness. This type was fixed in about 25 years, notwithstand¬ 
ing the crossings, and took the name of Rosenstein. At the end of 32 years they were 
seen by Mr. John S. Klippart, then secretary of the Ohio Board of Agriculture, but 
since deceased, and to him and Mr. S. Hoxie, secretary of the Dutch-Friesian Associa¬ 
tion, Whitestown, N. Y., am I indebted for these facts. Mr. Klippart says the aim 
was to create a new breed combining in a high degree superior milking qualities, early 
maturity, easy fattening, and endurance under the yoke. The effect of this crossing 
and in-breeding was to deepen the flank and lighten the shoulder by tne Limburger 
and Alderney blood, while the Limburgers and Schwytzers added to the flow of milk, 
