The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1882-09-29
Shorthorns for Dairy.

|
Shorthorns for Dairy.
| For many years the breeders Of
shorthorn cattle have devoted their
entire energies to the breeding
of animals, matchless in form and
symmetry of proportions, and the
result produced a class of animals
we'll nigh approaching perfection in
the points aimed to be attained.
This high state of excellence has been
attained at the utter sacrifice Of dairy
qualities which have been entirely
ignored. In the earlier years of this
industry this was an item of far less
importance in a business point of
view than at present. At that time
there was broad field for the CON-
paratively few breeders, and which
taxed their energies to the utmost,
to meet the demand for stock from
those who were entering into the
business professionally.
Of late years, however, different
! class of purchasers has sprung up,
those who have gone to work TO i'm
prove the native stock of the country,
and who have laudable ambition
to place higher class of animals in
the markets than the common ina
tives."
The dairy also has become FIX
ture in almost every township in the
state, but an uncertain tenure in
only isolated places. The dairy in
terest has become to be rightly re-
garded as the nucleus of the stock
growing business in a general way,
until the present time there is no
class of cattle in the land suitable for
dairy purposes, but they must be-
gathered up promiscuously from the
"scrub" stock which the country
affords with a great amount of un-
certainty usually attending the pur-
chase of each animal, as to whether
she will prove of any great value in
the dairy.
i 1t is we'll established fact that
among Shorthorns there is so often
a strain of blood which is certain to
develop good Eilkers, but usually
this tendency has developed in ami
mails of ''plain breeding" and as pro-
fessional breeders have been work.
ing in an entirely different field, but
minor importance has been attached
to this quality, and but little or no
pains taken to breed line of milk
ers that could be relied on 20 Ger
tainity, and at the same time their
progeny be what the ambitious stock
grower would desire to rear for
market purposes.
! The fact that the lordly Shorthorn
stand without peer as a beef pro-
ducing stock stands we'll founded.
The further fact :hat among them
there is an occasional fine mixer, is
equally we'll founded, as well as the
additional fact that no ell directed
efforts are known to have been made,
to 'fx" this milk producing quality
as an established trait that will be
transmitted to the offspring with
the same unerring certainty that the
beautiful outline of form and majestic
size are held and improved upon
from one generation to another,
where care is taken in the breeding
The dairy is fixed industry in.the
northern prairie states, and its i'm
portance is each succeeding year se-
curing,a better recognition in almost
every prosperous community. Al
ready the demand for what may be
technically termed "dairy cows"
whose progeny shall be such as to
fill the dem and for beef stock. is thes
!. most urgent one existing among ad-
vanced agriculturists. The attain
ment of this desired result can only
be reached by an earnest endeavor
on the part of breeders in that di-
rection, and must be slow to appear
To the writer this seems TO be the
mos desirable field now ready for tho
breeders to occupy. When Short
horn breeders shall take the same
pride in the performances of their
tavorites at the milking pail as the
breeders of Jerseys and Holsteins
now do, and work as hard to reach
such results, but little doubt exists
that their labors will be crowned
with the production of the large,
we'll developed dairy cow, whose
offsprings will oe equally famous for
lifting the beam at heavy weight
when matuied for tho market.-E
| H. CALkISs, in Io,ca homestead