The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-06-02

This Is very high testimony as to the excel
/ lence OF the Short horn race, both as to milk
and beef, and shows that milk was one OF
/ their chief qualities in England, and II inhe-
| in IT again by properly breeding and feeding
/ with an eve to milk and butter.
| In Mr. Bells "History OF Short Horns" we
(the dam OF HuIback's grandsire), giving thir-
| ty-six quarts OF milk a day, and making twen-
ty-four pounds Of butter per week.
Mr.. Allen, in the sec0nf volume OF the
American Herd Book" speaking OF the early
| inc oortatfons of Short Horns, says: "There
was one ruling quality among them; they
were, almost without exception, capital milk
ers."
These facts abundantly show that they come
originally from the very best dairy cattle, and
II they do not now stand at the head of the
dairy class in every particular, they have the
latent qualities In them that VIII enable them
very soon, III given a chance, to stand at the
head in milk production, as well as in beef
Much later In their history, Mr.. Allen. in
his History of American Cattle" says: They
(the Short HOrns) are the greatest mixers IN
quantity of any breed whatever, except the
Dutch, as innumerable facts have shown. We
have numerous well authenticated instances
of their giving six, seven, eight and even nine
gallons per day, and making fourteen to
eighteen, and some as high as twenty and a
half pounds OF butter per week Our own OBJ
servation in more than thirty years expert
ence with hundreds of them, first and last, is
TO ourselves abundant evidences of these facts"
In his History OF Short Horn Cattle" he
also says: "Our history has fully shown that
from the earliest period the Short Horn cows,
a rule were large mixers, ana when cult1-
waited with view to dairy purposes, no ami
NAL of any breed excelled, and few, II any,
equaled them When milk has been the
main object in their keeping, no cows have
made larger yields according TO the consump-
ton of food, than the Short Horns. Even In
our own time, we have frequent records OF
cows giving from twenty-fuur to thirty-six,
ana even forty quarts per day, and the yield
OF butter has been correspondIngly large"
Numerous notes may be found attached TO
the pedigrees of cows, in the several volumes
of tle american Herd Book, attesting these
facts.
These statements are sufficient to prove that
II there isany want of milking qualities IN the
present Short Horns, IL Is due entirely to tue
present breeding; for IL is most certain that
the ancient Short Horns were coed mixers,
and combined both milk and beef in the same
animal.
ind these facts standing ont very full and
prominent In these authors, and that the
Short Horns were celebrated for their aptuesS
to give great quantities OF rich milk. Every
one at ali acquainted with the breed will call
to mind more or less cases, similar in every
respect, and which bears abundant testi-
mOny 10 the excellency OF the dairy qualities
inherent in their organization.
Professor Arnold, in his late work on "Dairy-
ing" bears testimony to the high inherent
milking qualities of many of our present Short
Horns. He says: 1T is doubtful whether there
has ever been any better milk stock than the
original Short Horns, and they still
have a most persistent tendency TO
transmit that quality to their des-
cendants, and where a deep milking
tenderly has not been counteracted, or wnere
Princess family, 1t has remained nearly in its
original state and is transmitted with most
remarkable certainty"
Tine same author speaks well of the quality
of the milk. "The globules are of good size,
cream rising readily. The percentage of cream
liberal and of ODD quality. The milk is about
equally well adapted to butter and cheese and
marketing in cities"
with this evidence before us, the conclusion
is inevitable that attention only is requisite
on the part of the breeder to restore anu per-
petuate this quality in any desirable extent in
all our present Short Horns. 1t must be done
by carefully selecting bulls out OF cows known
to possess great merit as mixers, by tudicious
feeding to develop the milk seereiions. and
stimulate the inherent milk qualities that
have been by some breeders entirely disre-
garded. She may be made the very hrst-class
dairy COW of this country. That this quality
ofabundant milking in the Short Horns exists
no breeder OF them for moment doubts; and
If the breeders attention be turned solely to
IA donbs in obtanine Win verV
few exceptions, extra heavy mixers. So IL a
breeder turns his attention, regardless of milk,
to the grazing qualities of his Short Horns, he
ca gradually breed out the tendency of large
milking, beyond a sufficiency to raise a calf,
and it is to be regretted that the tendency OF
too many of our breeders has been to this end.
The dairy interest is attracting wider atten-
ton to day in America than ever before, and
justly so, too for il is the source or large ex
port trade, beside supplying great market at
home; and we should develop our Short Horn
cows to the growing demand for dairy stock
and deep-nilking breed, combining first
class beef and milk.
Generally speaking, the COW on the farm has
never received her due proportion of credit for
what she really can DO in the success of the
farm, nor has her blood ana qualifications
been so carefully studied as they should have
been.
She produces a calf annually, which at two
years old may be made TO weigh g. D lbs. She
produces $500 to $500 pounds OF milk, out OF
which may be made 800 pounds of butter an
nually. A-breed OF cows which would COM
bine these qualities is deserving OF great credit
in the success of the farm. Indiana is the
natural home Of the famous blue grass, and
will be the natural home of Short Horn dairy
cows not long in the future.
rne small, Informed breeds which some
/ claim to be superior butter cows mot mich
\ cows, do not produce calf which for beef at
/ four months old will command s., nor at two
/ years old weigh over sc or 70J pounds, and of
/ very inferior quality for beef at that. The
| calves, in fact, are almost worthless, except
! the females to raise for cows for the same pur-
/ pose. Those who want the Informed cow for
/ a small quantity of rich milk and deacon"
/ the calves at birth the Jersey is Just the COW.
But the COW that is 10 supply, our cities and
| cur cooperative butter and cheese factories
with milk must come from the Short. Horns
| and their grades.
Here the amoant of milk must not be the
| only important consideration. This, depend
/ ing on one source of income, or playing upon
/ one string, has long since been exploded as an
unsafe policy. The farm stock must be so
! selected and combined that it will produce the
most milk and beef, and they must be COM
bined in one animal. Separate animals for
/ separate purposes can not be tolerated on the
/ farm.
The coming COW must be of pure beef
/ stock as possible, as well as of the best milk
| producing breed. Here let me say distinctly,
4 the Jersey is a good butter COW Tor her inches,
/ but she has not inches enough to hold her own
/ in long contest with those OF greater weight
and carcass; nor has she been subjected to the
same rude tests on pinched food as most other
/ breeds have.
In the January QSSO) number OF the National
! Live Stock Journal Is very fOrclble demon
stration of this fact. Mr.. /. Boies, of Illinois,
has herd of about 100 cows of high grade
/ Short Horns that yielded 3l42 pounds of butter
/ last year. Mr.. o. Bronson, OF New YORK, has q
/ herd oftwen ty natives that averaged pa pou nds
and Mr.. o. Q. Blodgett, of New York, also has
a herd OF twenty-five Jerseys. Their average
| yield was 234h pounds Of butter per COW. Mind
! now, the natives and the Jerseys both have
/ greatly the advantage of the Short Horn grades
| In numbers. The Short Horn grades averaged
eighty pounds OF butter per cow more than
the Jerseys and sixty-seven and half more
than the natives.
! That the two qualities of beef and milk m ay
be combined in the same animal of the Short
Horn breed scarcely needs further cOnsldera-
ton. The character of the short horns for
beef take to be sufficiently established. That
| the other may be had Is sufficiently proven by
| the ancient Short Horns, who possessed it in
an eminent degree, and that Ii Is possessed by
l many at the present time is true.
/ m m hQ rd