The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1886-10-02
FARM ANIMALS.
A Sensible Plea in Favor of the "General-
Purpose" Cow.

q
Purpose" Cow.
am not able to agree with much that
is being written and published in favor
of the position that it is absurd and
ridiculous to attempt to breed any class
of animals for more than one purpose.
Especial argument. ridicule and sar-
casm have been directed against efforts
to secure good degree of merit as
Eecf-makers and milk-givers in any
breed of cows. None the less do l be-
lievc that it is desirable and practicable
to secure this result; that for large
percentage of the United States COWS of
this observation-disclosures" cows If
you please be better adapted
than those with marked excellence for
one purpose, coupled with inferority
for the other; and that there are vast
numbers of COWS which do combine in n
satisfactory degree good size, form and
aptitude to lay on flesh. with ability to
give good quantity of good milk. 1
have seen many such COWS.
Bcef-making and milk-giving are
natural functions of the cow. 1t is not
contrary to the principles of breeding
and is in accord with experience that
these functions should be well developed
III the same animal. 1t is unusual to
find them both developed to remark
able degree. In regard to these quail
ties, as well rs to many others, the
breeder may make his choice between
efforts to reach remarkable excellence
in one point or n fair degree of merit
in two or more. 1t is clearly true that
in many cases the latter effort is the
wiser.
Urging all breeders to select some
one point, and seek to develop that to
the greatest degree, is not wise. There
is demand for animals so developed
for horses with special fitness for heavy
draught, or for fast trotting; for cattle
especially fitted for beef or for milk; for
sheep remarkably developed in the
way of either mutton or wool
production; but the largest num-
ber of users of either class desire
animals reasonably well adapted for
more than one purpose. The horse
best suited to the needs of farmers gen.
orally. or for most business purposes, is
neither a heavy draught nor typical
roadster, and so of the other classes of
animals, even to the hog, in breeding
which too exclusive attention may be
given to early maturity or to ability to
lay on flesh.
Aside from the farmers who keep cat
tie with almost sole reference to beef
making. and the special dairymcn, there
is vast number who know what they are
about when they insist on having cattle
| cnt 70 ontn l,Nt
milk givers. Unquestionably its merit in
this double capacity has been q great
cause of the widespread popularity of
the short-horn both in Great Britain
and in this country. 1t is amazing that
men will continue to deny or ignore the
fact that there are many thousands of
pure-bred or high-grade short-horn COWS
which are in n satisfactory degree, what
it is denied there can possibly be, good
general-purpose COWS. There are many
short-horn cows that are not good
mixers, many that are not good beef
animals, and many that are both. The
same is true in some herds of cattle OF
a number of other breeds. On the
University Farm there is to-day abund-
ant proof of this fact ,rs to short-horns.
OF two Hereford COWS one is II good
mixer, the other not; \ half-blood is
well above the average. There is a
half-blood Holstein steer, weighing over
1850 pounds at 2S months, and beef
animal of superior quality; pure Ayr
shire steer quite satisfactory in beef
merit.
recognize fully the marked differ
ences in the adaptations of different
breeds and of different animals belong
ing to the same breed, but dissent from
the position that it is impracticable or
always unwise to secure development in
more than one direction in one breed or
one animal. Z. G. Morrow, IN
| Rural NeW Yorker