The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-08-07
What is a Good COwg

Writing from Kansas a correspondent
asks: What is good COW, and how shall
l get her? The question strikes at
the root of success in dairying. If we
could get that question asked by every
farmer and dairyman in the country,
and the answer to it acted upon intelli-
gently, we should all be richer in a few
years. We necessarily have to do many
things in the dark, because the mind is
not able to grasp everything. But
there are some things that we know,
and others that we may know. and such
knowledge as we have or may have
should be applied to our business. 1t is
idle to deny the fact that in our agri-
cultural affairs in general we do alto
gether too much without thinking. Just
let us think for a moment of the inn
mense amount of random breeding that
has been done in this country in the
past and is still being done. all because
we do not realize the Importance of the
question asked at the be ginning of this
article. AS we have said so many
times, and as is naturally the case, the
country is full of native cattle. Year
after year these cows are bringing forth
calves. Are the calves any better than
their dams? Often not, and it is pretty
safe to say, generally not Are
hAAC 'AtbiA4o SOO0 III all buIfl2F v cry
frequently not worth the food they
consume. Well, then, how IS it that
such COWS are used for breeding calves
that are not better than themselvesP
Because their owners do not stop to
think. They breed recklessly. Ii they
understand the principles of breeding,
Shey do not apply them, and if they do
not understand them, they make no Of
fort to ascertain what they are. The
millions of dollars that are annually
lost through this reckless sort of breed
ing are an evidence Of pronigacy that
would suggest thai we all have more
money than we know what to do with.
The owner of COW that is good for
nothing, or TO say the least, is not up to
standard, feeds out Just as much feed
as would keep a good cow, goes to the
same trouble of producing q poor calf
as he would to produce good one, and
has for his reward another inferior cow
to eat his feed and fodder without pay
ing for what she consumes. In mer-
camille transactions su h course
would lead to bankruptcy in short or
der; and the only reason it does not do
so on the farm, is because other depart
ments are drawn upon to make the loss
in this one good.
If there was any excuse for pursuing
such a course, the case would be diff
ferent. But there is none. for, while
it is not desirable to use poor cow for
breeding purposes, she may be so used,
if the sire is properly selected. There
is no absolute need of throwing such
COW away, although we should never
use her as a breeder. It will take so
much the longer to get good COW, if
she is so used. If a sire is selected
that has bad milking ancestors on both
sides, he will transmit milking quail
ties TO the offspring of even such a
COW, in some degree, and by continued
careful selection, at least a fair dairy
COW will finally be the result. But no
COW is fit for breeding for dairy pur-
poses, unless her annual yield Of milk
at five years of age is five thousand
pounds If she gives that much M TX,
she may be regarded as a good dairy
breeder without looking for further
evidence. But there are some general
points which are accepted as being evil
dence of the possession of dairy quail
ties. The COW must have a large
stomach, the reasons for which are OBJ
vious. This will be indicated by broad
and deep sides and loins and broad
hips. She should have bright eyes and
horns, and lustrous hair, as this in
dictates natural vigor. She should
have a large udder and large veins
leading to it. Largeness of udder means
a broad, deep and long udder. The teats
should be set well apart and the skin
ought to be soft and elastic. 1t is gen.
orally considered, too, that a COW hay
ing a yellow skin and the inside of
whose ear is yellow, will give a richer
quality of milk than one not possessing
these characteristics. We have observed
that this is a very excellent Indication,
although we are unable to explain why.
1t is one of the things that we have not
learned yet.
The period during which the COW con-
tinues TO give milk must also be taken
into consideration in determining her
value as breeder. A good dairy cow,
when kept properly, ought to give milk
for ten months. and cows celebrated for
their large yield of milk, are usually
long mixers. IL must be observed that
in order to reach the standard of an
nual quantity the long mixer need pro-
duce very much less daily yield than
the short mixer. Now if we have cows,
with these characteristics, If will not be
difficult, if We carefully select the sire.
to build up milking herd at once, and
get out of our cow-yard the measure of
profit that it owes as Western HuraE.