State Convention—Grass is King. 
397 
ially valuable for oxen. 11 The Holsteins,” he says, “are great 
milkers and tremendous feeders.” 
He thinks u the Durhams or short-horns have fallen into dis¬ 
repute as milkers, by falling into the hands of fancy breeders who 
keep them for show and not for milk, but he does not know of any 
breed of cattle, which, for the food consunmd, will produce as much 
milk, as much butter, and as much beef, as the “ short-horns.” 
He had not been successful with Ayrshires; but they will graze 
well even in rough country, and are in much favor. He said farm¬ 
ers must select their stock according io pastures and purposes.” 
Professor Leander Wetherell, editor of the Boston Cultivator, and 
a practical dairyman and stock-raiser, as well as a discriminating 
observer in all departments of agriculture says: “First, a dairy- 
farm, and then the cows to stock it; and well does the young dairy¬ 
men inquire: What breed will yield best returns in milk, butter, 
and cheese? The answer must depend upon what you propose to 
do with your milk. Among the breeds that rank highest in quan¬ 
tity, are short-horns and Holsteins, and their crosses, half-breeds, 
three-fourths or higher; if you want a smaller breed, the Ayrshires 
may he introduced with their crosses, and these breeds have been 
found to be good for cheese production, if that be your purpose; if 
butter, thtn use Jerseys, Guernsey, or Alderneys, is the ordinary 
advice. I have no objection to using short-liorn crosses for butter, 
or for any other purpose for which a cow is kept on a milk-farm; 
but whatever the breed, get the best. Having decided on the breed 
of cows, consider every cow a machine to convert forage into milk. 
A ton of hay in excess of the amount necessary to keep up the ani¬ 
mal heat and sustain vitality, gives two hundred pounds of cheese. 
A cow eating six tons of hay per annum, shall produce four hun¬ 
dred pounds of cheese per annum, worth sixty dollars; while a cow 
eating and digesting nine tons would produce 1,090 pounds of cheese, 
worth $163.50. But, says the farmer, it would be impossible to get 
nine tons of hay into a cow’s stomach during the year; then breed 
up to it; which can be done by breeding from thorough-bred short¬ 
horns of the Duchess or Princess family, descended from Bates 1 
beeeding, whose “First Duchess” calved in Northumberland, Eng¬ 
land, June 7, ISO7, yielded milk for some months that made butter 
that sold for two guineas per week.” 
Mr. W. L. Rutherford, of St. Lawrence county, New York, Mr. 
