The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1879-09-20
BREEDING COWS FOR BUTTER

BREEDING COWS FOR BUTTER.
The use of pure bred males, upon mis-
cellaneously bred females is justly regard
ed as one OF the chief means of improving
live stock. 1t is equally important in
breeding cattle, sheep, swine or poultry,
and the application of the same principle
in horse breeding is fully recognized. We
say, when we speak of heifer by an AL
derney bull and dropped by common
cow, ''she -haff -Afderney." This word
'half' does not by any means indicate the
measure of Alderney characteristics which
the heifer possesses. We might with
greater propriety say ''she is half Alder
ney by blood and seven Fights by nature"
Some we'll bred bulls will impress the
characteristics of their own breed so re-
markably that many of their offspring
might pass as pure bloods; others possess
this quality, which is called prepotency,
so Slightly that their offspring take after
their race but slightly. Such bulls, though
perhaps well bred, are valueless, but they
are very rare among full bloods of any
breed. Among the grades of any breed,
and among cross breds of any dissimilar
breeds, bulls lacking this invaluable quail
ity of prepotency are the rule rather than
the exception. Now and then a grade
bull will get very good calves with con-
siderable uniformity. Very fine looking
grade bulls are common, and it is hard to
convince common farmers that they are
not just as good for use as pure breds
which, perhaps, do not look so we'll. The
difference in tho herds of two breeders
one Of which uses pure bred bulls, the
other scrubs or grades, is always most
obvious; but "none are so blind as those
who will not see,' and the writer has
long ago given up the effort TO convince
men for their own good against their
wishes. The old saw puts it truly, HE
that's convinced against his will is of the
same opinion still" Farmers will con-
tinue to use scrub and grade bulls, and
by 50 doing the unreasoning ones will
give to the others great advantages.
{" Those who select bulls for beef points
will raise the best steers Those who
wish to make milk will breed from bulls
of the great milking breeds, and in butter
sections it is equally important 20 use on
ly bulls of the best butter breeds, the Jer-
seys and Guernseys stan ding preemirent.
But among Guernsey. and Jersey herds
We do not lind all the cows good butter
makers, while among those that are re-
ally good there is an enormous disparity.
It is good COW which gives ten pounds
of butter week There are many which
give twelve; quite number which Yield
fourteen, q very few sixteen, eighteen or
even twenty. Now these arc not, so to
speak sporadic or isolated cases, bnt more
or less in families. That is, we find that
a number of good cows will generally be
found in, the progeny OF one famous one
What we want is to be. able to breed
great butter yielders every time. This
might occur occasionally, or often, when
the progeny OF one great butter COW is
rather closely inbred, but with very much
greater probability when the blood of diff
ferent families, each famous for It's butter
yield, Is combined. In each there is a
; "prepotency' for butter production, and
as the families are not akin, we really
combine the two, and, if each prepotency
IS equal to the other, then We have a
double, force, whereas in breeding,i n one
family we have only the single force, no
matter how its parts are combined
~ This, then, seems to be the rnle for
breeding prodiges Of any kind First, dis
cover or Establish in two families the par
ticular prepotency, that is. the quality |
which produces similar characteristics
say a great yield of butter-in many or |
all the, individuals o: a family second,
combine these two families. 1t is. oil
course, question whether the tendency 1
will continue in double power II moi
then we must continue to combine tho ex
eelleneies, thatis, The prepetencies, oftwo
families, just as we breed grades now
mercant Dairy man. -, $ -. d
- Jerft - II