Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-07-09
SHORT-HORNS,
A Combination Breed for Milk and
Beef
lThe Ohio Farmcr.l

(rhe Ohio Farmer.
1t has often been repeated that no
breed of cattle can combine milk and
beef, and that beef-making alone is the
business of the Short-Horn. We admit
that when the cows are dried of their
milk, to be "tixed up" in high condi-
tiOn and pampered year after year for
show purposes, that the prospect for
milk is poor. Are all Short-Horns bred
for this purpose? 1t is well known that
they are not. In treating this subject,
we shall not consider this fashionable
kind of COWS alone. Not only is this
pampering an objection, but also an
other strong american fashion is
equally objectionable-this craze for red
color, and the breeding out roans-red
and white-and eueae Whites.
This subject must take in all, not only
thoroughbreds or recorded animals, but
thousands of well-bred animals whose
breeders neglected to keep any kind of
record of their pedigrees, and also the
vast number of grades which are used
the world over for milk and beef. Well
informed individuals, who have given
the subject any thought, know that the
ancestors of this breed We're successful
at the pail, and had the character of
producing a large supply of milk and
beef; the latter may have been some
what coarser than the rich, marbled
beef of to-day. The former has always
had the character of being of the rich
est kind. Do not all breeders of Short
Horns claim that cows, after being
milked for the season, readily fatten,
when dry, on the common run of feed
i'i the pastures? If the most highbred
cows were to be kept in good thriving
condition only, and allowed to bring a
calf every year, and spend nine months
at the pail, could not such calf, if made
a steer or barren heifer, be fattened to
as high u state of perfection, and be as
equally ripe and rich in quality as
though the dam had been petted and
pampered purposely for beef? Such
COWS would be more sure to breed reg
ularly every year and bring an offspring
more robust and healthy, if they were
not burdened with such vast amount of
flesh. Why is it that so many of the
fashionably bred animals cease to breed
and die in their prime? Suppose some
of these sorts, the Duchess for instance,
had been bred for the whole purpose,
milk as well as for the perfect beef ami
NAL, might not such families of fine an
imals have been vastly more numerous
We claim for the Short-Horn that her
place is for the dairy as we'll as for beef
purposes. Though parties interested in
the "Channal Islands" breeds, and the
Observation-Disclosures, claim that they have
the milking breeds, and that it is i'm
possible to have combination COW.
Though it has been stated by some ad-
vocates of the Holstein-Friesians and
Guernseys that they, also, make the
best of beef. The owners of large city
dairies, where the cow is generally made
off at the close of the milking season,
prefer, and will use no other but the
Short-Horn, because she can in very
short time, with abundant feed, be
made into carcass of fine beef.
Let breeders of the special milking
classes visit some of the large dairies Of
London and try to get the owners to pa
tronize their breeds. The answer will
be, "No, sir; if we were obliged to
change, we would 60 to the Polled Nor
folks" All who have visited these
large dairies of London would see in
perfection the combined coaU.. Many of
the farmers who keep cows for dairy