The Delaware farm and home. (Wilmington, Del.) 1885-19??, 1889-09-26
THE MILKY WAY.
How to Improve the Herd.
BY T. D. CURTIS, CHICAGO, ILL.

herd somewhat by notnlnS but
mere selection, careful breeding, and
improved surroundings and condi-
tions; but the improvement would be
slow, and lifetime would not suffice
to reach satisfactory results. It is
better to begin with the best that can
be had, thus taking advantage of all
improvements in the past. But there
are not enough of the best or of the
better improved animals to go around,
if they could be distributed. Only a
few can have the best. The rest must
take what they can get But we be-
lieve all can secure improved blood by
each buying a blooded male. This
appears to be the present practicable
thing to do. Such males-one- half
the calves dropped being males . have
become so plenty that good ones are
not now so very expensive, and they
will in all probability grow cheaper in
the future. If too expensive for one
let several dairymen join, as has occa-
sionally been done, and buy Il first
class bull for use ON their best cows
The beneficial result will show in a
few years. Let us see what is posi-
BILE in five gears.
Suppose the dairyman has 20 good
cows He introduces a blooded bull,
and at the end of the first year has
his 20 good COWS and 10 heifer calves
-supposing the sexes to be even in
number. At the end of the second
year, he has The twentx COWS, aTn t,,,as ~
curves, sd 10 y6arling heifers. The
third wear he has the 30 COWS, 10
lf-blooded calves, 10 yearling heifers,
and 10 two-year old heiters with 5
three-quarter blood heifer calves The
fourth year he has the 20 cows, their
10 heifer calves, 10 yearling half
bloods, 5 yearling three-quarter
bloods, 10 two-year olds, with their
5 three-quarter blood calves, and 10
three-year old half blood cows, with
their three-quarter blood calves. At
the end of the fifth year, the 20 origi-
nal COWS remain, with their 10 heifer
calves, there are 10 oearling half
blood heifers, 10 two-year old heifers,
10 three year old and 10 four year
old COWS, with Is three-qurrter blood
calves, yearling seyen-eighths blood
heifers, and 5 tHo-year old three-quar.
ter blood heifers, with 2 or B seven
eights blood heifer calves.
This is possible, and shows how
fast milking stock may be made tc
double up when all the females are
saved. Each succeeding year would
show greater proportionate increase
The proportion Of heifer calves NIGH
be more or less than half during the
short period of five years, but i
would probably average about that
The increase is such that there il
ample chance for selection, while the
animals, male and female, sold woulC
considerably increase the receipts
even if the milch COWS are kept dow
to the original number Of 20. Il
those who have never tried it, or wit
messed the process of development, /
is astonishing to observe the change
and improvement in the appearance
and quality of the herd from the thir'
year, when the two-year old heifer
come into milk and take the place c
10 of the original COWS. The chang
is complete at the end of the fourt
year, only grades-two and thre
years old-appearing, with three
quarter and seven-eighths blood con
ing on to fill their places.
SO it does not take so long, aftt
all, to transform herd; and if til
selection of blood is good, nothin