Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-05-11
What Breed of Cows Is Best
From the American Stock journal.

IIpI tut StDCh JOuFlla
This is a question often asked, but a
difficult one to answer, unless by the
sweeping assertion that we want them
all. SO far rs we are able to learn,
there is no one breed that as a rule is
possessed of all the points desired.
There may exist individuals in almost
all of the established breeds. that
possess all good qualities in a sufficient
degree to answer the purposes of the
ordinary farmer, but as race, there
are none that embrace all good quail
ties, and every farmer must be govern
ed in his choice by the situation.
If he has rich pastures and extensive
corntields, and is near a market where
the price of good beef rules high, the
Durham will probably be as near per
lection as any that can be obtained.
The Shorthorns are great eaters. If
they run to milk they give large guam
tity of it. If they have tendency to
fatten, they fatten with great rapidity.
They grow rapidly, and are capable OF
carrying an immense load of flesh.
They require the best of care and the
richest of feed, and, with this, the :
will amply repay all OUTLAWS.
But If allowed to roam in the public
roads and wild pastures in summer,
and kept on poor hay and mouldy corn
fodder in winter, they will invariably
prove the worst scrubs and the poorest
investment that a farmer can make.
The objection to them as dairy cows is,
that you are not sure whether they will
prove to be great mixers or great feed
ers, or half and half. The remedy is
to feed literally at all times, and if the
cows are good mixers they will be very
good ones, and if not, they will fatten
rapidly, and can be disposed of to good
advantage as beef. With a dairy OF
forty cows, a dozen or so of the
best heifer calves should be raised each
year, and ten or dozen COWS fattened
each winter to be sold in the spring,
when the beef commands very high
price.
If he keeps Shorthorns, on the sys-
tenn proposed, he will not receive as
much money from the cheese factory as
if he kept Ayrshires or natives. But it
is for him to decide whether half q
dozen or more fat cows sold every
spring to the butcher, will not make up
for the deficiency. On the whole, we
would say, if he has high priced land
and proposes to adopt high farming
take the Shorthorn but If he proposes
to devote his farm and the COWS solely
to the production OF milk aud butter,
take the Ayrshire or Alderny.
If the location is near large city,
where milk ls the chief object, we must
have the Ayrshires, as there is no race
that can equal the pure Ayrshire in
quantity of milk 1t being generally es-
timated at from 80 to 80 pounds per
day. Our best Ayrshire COWS give so
pounds of milk per day. A committee
appointed for the purpose, testified
under oath, that one of Messrs. Wal
colt & Campbell's cows gave So pounds
of milk per day, for several days in
succession.
The Ayrshires have been bred ex-
clusively for milk, and will probably
yield n greater quantity for food con-
sumed than any other breed. On the
other hand if he proposes to sell beef
and raise oxen as well as cheese and
butter, we would advocate the Devon.
The Devons, as a race, are thrifty,
and with good pasture present hand
some appearance. The milk is quite
rich, and produces butter of better
color than that obtained from the milk
of the Durham, but the quantity is
not large. They are quick, active
race, and for farm labor, the oxen can
/ hardly be excelled. The will move the
plough almost, perhaps quite, as fast as
the horse. To carry out the latter sys-
TEN of raising oxen beef cattle, butter
and milk to the best advantage, we
must adopt higher order of feeding
than when the only object is milk. We
want cows that will eat large amount
of food. This is of the very first i'm
! portance. An animal that viii not eat
/ freely should be rejected