Oe 
1 Sepr., 1902.) QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 179 
compensated for by the extra quantity of milk produced by the crossing. I 
remember that a few years ago Mr. Mahon, Principal of the Queensland 
Agricultural College, did not much favour the Holstein breed (and there is no 
better authority on dairying and dairy stock in Australia than he) ; but since 
the College Holsteins have become acclimatised I believe his views on this 
breed have been somewhat changed, and the Holsteins are well represented in 
the College herd. 
Now for the South Coast cattle. These are of purely Australian origin, 
so far as the cross is concerned. They originated in a Shorthorn cross intro- 
duced many years ago—90, I think—by a Mr. David Berry. This cross was 
again crossed with the Ayrshire, but not very successfully. The strain now 
contains much of what is favourably known in England as the Yorkshire 
milking strain. A breed was wanted by the settlers of the south coast of New 
South Wales suitabie for the rich, moist pastures of Illawarra, and they have 
devoted some ninety years to the work, the result being a breed, now tamous 
all over Australasia, known simply as South Coast cattle. The champion dairy 
cow of Australia, owned by Mr. D. Hyam, was a South Coast cow, Blossom, 
a three-quarter-bred Jersey, the other fourth being Ayrshire. At a recent 
show of the Berry Agricultural Society she yielded no less than-27+ lb. of 
butter in one week. 
Ada, Topsy, and Fancy, at the Queensland Agricultural College, are of this 
breed, and the two latter milked 448 lb. and 586 lb. respectively with first calf 
from Ist to 30th April, 1902, the yield of commercial butter being 21:07 lb. 
and 23:62 lb.—butter fat percentage, 4°2 and 3°6. 
I would strongly advise any of you who intend starting a dairy herd to 
first see Mr. Mahon or write to him. You cannot go wrong if you follow his 
advice, either in the selection of cattle, the method of dealing with milk and 
cream, the making of butter and cheese, and the rearing of calves. 
There are several other breeds valuable in the dairy herd, such as the 
Guernsey, a relation of the Jersey, which yields a milk abnormally rich in 
butter fat; the Kerry, which adapts itself to different climates more easily than 
any other known breed; and others. The Kerry cow is a good milker, and the 
milk shows a good percentage of butter fat. 
Having decided on the breed you propose to begin with, you must see 
about the purchase of a bull. Never mind about pure-bred cows. It is far 
better not to go to the expense of pure-breds, when you can easily get good 
grade kine. With the bull it is different | Never use any but a pure-bred 
with an undeniable pedigree. Be sure that he comes from a good milking 
strain. It is useless to expect a badly bred bull or cow to produce good results 
in the way of building up a dairy herd. As I have told you, there is a great 
difference between the beef cow and the dairy cow, and this is a fact you must 
never lose sight of. You cannot, by any amount of feeding, raise the quality 
of milk produced ; therefore, adhere to the dairyman’s golden rule-—Breed for 
uality, and feed for quantity. At the same time the necessity for judicious 
eeding cannot be too strongly impressed on your minds. Knowledge of 
breeding must be assisted by judgment in feeding. It is far better to keep a 
small number of cows and feed them well than to keep double the number and 
only half feed them, for profit can only be obtained when care is bestowed on 
the herd. 
Do not depend on the natural pasture. You have seen how ruinous such 
foolish dependence has been to hundreds of dairy farmers. Grow plenty of 
rich succulent fodder in favourable seasons, and preserve as much as_ possible 
in the form of hay and silage. The good dairy farmer will never be without a 
peed supply of silage. I told you in the last lesson that good silage will keep 
or a great length of time. As you never can be certain of the seasons, this 
fact should induce you to lay by large stores of this valuable fodder, so that 
you will not be obliged to sell or starve your cattle or send them away to other 
places when a drought occurs. 
