Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1879-04-03
CROss-BREEDIN

ing Short-horns. After the United State
exhibition In Philadelphia, I purchased
cow from Dennis Kelley, out Of one OF hi
cows by Lord Byron, who took the media
at that exhibition. Shortly afterwards l OBJ
tanned another from James Gowen Of Mt
Airy, and with a bull of equally good stool
we started our herd. Lady Kelley, as W.
called her, generally came fresh in May
and during the months of June and Jul,
would give from 20 to Is quarts of milk dai
ly. We tried on several occasions to sex
what quantity of butter she would make il
one week the highest was 10a pounds. La
dy Gowen would give when fresh, 16quarts
her highest production OF butter was 6
pounds. We were we'll satisfied with the re.
suit, as the quantity of butter made from
these COWS was more than we ever knew to
be made from two COWS in the old country
good, the two would produce an average OF
10 pounds per week. We generally gave q
little corn meal and bran, and it was neces-
sary to feed pretty strong in fall and winter
to keep a good flow of milk.
In February, 1852, a gentleman in Ken
lucky imported a lot of Guernseys, landing
at Philadelphia. There Was at the time a
deep snow, and they were compelled to lie
over in Philadelphia for some time. One of
them dropped a heifer calf, which l bought
and sent to my farm. When she was five
years old we tried her IN June on the same
pasture with the Short-horns, and she pro-
duced II Tbs. and 3oz. OF butter in one week,
lacking only one tb. and 3 or. of yielding as
much as the other two. She would not eat
much more than half as much as one Short
horn. [ looked around for a Guernsey bull.
and could find none to suit nv ideas to
breed FROM. After examining several herds
| concluded DR.. Twaddel's was the best so
| purchased a bull from him out of Eva by
Herdsman. Eva was a superior COW out of
imported Europa. These animals were all
registered in the Jersey Herd Book, from
the first importations, and were, / do not
hesitate to say, fully equal, if not superior
to anything imported now. I thus had a
chance to try experimental breeding. I had
the Short-horn and Guernsey cows and Jer-
sey bull, and | obtained a pure Devon of
George Patterson's herd (of Sykesville,) an
Ayrshire of another herd, and have tried
the grades of every kind mentioned. Short
horns and Jerseys are good. I found the
grades superior to thoroughbreds in quality
and quantity OF butter, each grade improv-
ing as far as my experience carries me, ex-
cept the Ayrshire, and that deteriorates. I
have some of the best of Wellingtons, Fow-
lers and Twaddel's importations of the Jer-
sey, and have crossed them with the Guern-
sey until | have six degrees, or crosses, of
Jersey blood; yet the Guernsey marks are
perfect-fawn and white, red or flesh color
ed nose, yellow stripe around the eyes, and
would pass for Guernseys anywhere, with
the exception that they are improved in
Symmetry. They will also produce far
more milk and butter. Therefore I come
to. the conclusion that judicieus crossing of
the two breeds will1make by far the most
profitable cow for butter purposes.
The mode of breeding I have adopted is
as follows I excha nge my bull every two
years, and do not like to breed near rela-
I now have the seventh bull in ii
years. select a bulllfrom q superior COW,
with all the marks that a perfect Judge
would want for milk and butter.
like them handsome, well formed, good.
size, fine head and horns, and while | haya
my favorite color, I do not object to an 9TH
perfect animal on the ground of col
Or. Find that the heifers are more likely
to take after the dam of the sire than after
their dams, and you cannot expect per-
breeding unless Won know tho nadinroo