St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-02
AS MIXERS.
Views OF Shorthorns by the Agri-
cultural Editor of the Des
MOiDeS RepiStep

views OF ShOrthOrnS by the AgrI-
cultural Editor of the Des
Moines Register.
At the Shorthorn State association at
Springfield. Ill.,, Jan. Is, the question
OF Shorthorns as mixers was freely
discussed. During the past year
the agricultural editor of the
Register had become badly discour-
aged, an unusual thing for him. He
had SO long, so continuously and so per-
sistently contended that Shorthorns
were the best breed of cattle for all
purposes, and that if the cows were
rightly bred they were really the farm
ers' best general purpose COW. But so
many breeders of that class of stock con-
tInued to foolishly and untruly claim
that no breed of cattle can be superior for
beef and milk, we had about concluded
to give them ''up to hardness of heart
and reprobacy of mind" We had about
concluded to abandon the Shorthorns.
or rather the Shorthorn breeders. But
the prospects are better. The change
OF action is not yet sufficient to save the
Shorthorns. More thorough and con-
certed action must be had to save the
creditrof this noble breed.
1t is stated that very careful eXperi-
some eminently scientific and practical
men to produce new breed of cattle
which shall truly meet the general-pur-
pose demand. They are crossing the
best Shorthorns with Holsteins, and
attempting to add richness TO the milk
by an infusion of blood of the larger
and richer specimens of Jerseys. We
have faith that they or some other adj
Yenturer Will soon produce the animal
which the times and circumstances de-
mand. But at present the Shorthorn
and the Jersey are gripping and beg
CARING the stock industry of the real
agricultural districts. The Shorthorn
will no longer Go. The breeders
wlllfully refuse to improve it up to its
possibilities, and the public must look
to other fields, or to breeders of more
hberality and enterprise, to produce the
beef and milk breed, which alone can
possibly meet the demand of surround
Ing circumstances. We are no longer a
special Shorthorn advocate or defender
At the Illinois meeting named the
question of ShorthOrns for the dairy was
discussed. Mr.. HOstetter, of Mount
Carroll, said that this is not new
question. Shorthorns have always oe-
cupied a prominent position in the dairy.
This quality has to an extent been lost
sight OF in the fact that beef production
has been the objective point; never
theless the dairy qualities are not yet
far behind, they have not been injured
to so great extent as is commonly SUP
posed. We have numerous authenti-
Gated instances of Shorthorns giving six,
eight and even nine gallons of milk per
day on grasses alone, and fourteen to
eighteen pounds of butter per week,
at the same time holding their
own in the milk in proportionate guam
tity as well as other breeds. Many
prizes also have been taken by the Short
horns. Mr.. Moniger. the famous cattle
breeder of Iowa, said he did not believe
that beef and milk-producing qualities
were divorced. Some of the best
steers he ever raised were from
his best mixers. Mr.. H. urged
the idea of testing the milk and but
ter yield Of Shorthorn cattle and keep
ing a record of the same. HIS con-
cluSions were that Shorthorns have
proved themselves profitable for dairy
purposes; that they possess strong
milking tendencies which are as trans
missible as any other characteristic of
the breed. and that the milking quail
ties of the ShOrthorns can be improved
and developed without injury to their
usefulness as beef producers.