The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1893-01-20
THE FARM AND HOME.
sHORTHORNS AND HoLsrEINs
AS DAIRY COWS.
shorthcrn Milking Qualities Raising
Early Lambs-TO Make the Name
and Tail Grow - Farm
NOtes-HOme Hints,
shorthorns as Dairy Cows.

Notes-Home Hints.
Shorthorns as Dairy Cows.
A valued reader of Coleman's Rural
World who has taken it for more than
thirty years and read it religiously all
the time, said.to the editor that he did
not think as we do in regard to Hol-
stein cattle. Asked what he meant,
he said: Il am of the opinion that the
Shorthorn is the best all around farm
ers cow" What, for milk, and but
ter and beef? Eyes, for all She is
the best all purpose animal we have
in the shape of a cow in this coun try"
On what grounds do you base your
opinion? You do not own any, you
used to breed Jerseys; did you ever
own milking herd of Shorthorns?
mo, l did not; but I have seen the
dairy herds of England and 1 have
canvassed the matter of dairy cows
with the farmers there and can assure
you that if you were to take the Short
horn breeding out of the English
dairys there would be very little left.
And in so far as England is dairy
country just SO far is she a breeder of
Shorthorns. Moreover, take the Short
horn blood out OF the dairy herds even
of this country and what have you
as l have done for nearly half CEN
fury and see on how few of them you
will find Holstein, Jersey, Guernsey
or any other of the pure dairy breeds.
No Sir the Shorthorn and it's crosses
has given us the mich stock of the
country, has been for many years the
general purpose cow for the farmer
and is so to-day, in my opinion. The
other breeds are good enough in their
place, and they each have place, but
I am talking of general purpose cow
for the farmers of the West; cow
that will give pailful of milk morn
ing and night, raise a good, big, beefy
calf every year that will make 1900
pound steer at two years old, if rightly
handled, or cow that at the same age
will produce another calf just as good
as herself. And to cap the climax the
cow may at any time be dried off and
with little extra feed of the right
kind can be converted into beef"
This and much more was said by the
veteran farmer, who not only has age
and experience on his side, but as we'll
claims to carry heavy load of good
horse sense, and level head into the
bargain. There is too, world of
truth in his reasoning, as every I'M
prejudiced reader will admit
The Shorthorn cattle were among
the first improved stock brought to
this country, its first coming tracing
back to the early years of the century
and it's influence is felt in every nook
and corner of every state in the Union.
Wherever improved blood is found
then, as a rule, the Shorthorn paved
the way; hence they are used on nearly
every improved farm in the country,
are of good constitution, size, beefng
qualities. good rustlers and feeders,
stylish. gentle, good breeders and at
times excellent mixers.
There is no question either that in
their early history, the Shorthorns
were used and known as the best
mich cattle of England. and many
instances of their extraordinary pro =
ductiveness are on record and have
been published scores of times. The
same proclivities are found in them
here and there in this country and
crop out every once in a while; but
from the time they were first imported
until now, the first and only thing re-
CURED of them has been to raise calf
every year. They have been ini-
ported, bred and raised purely as
breeding animals and VIXEN they had
raised and weaned their calves, were
dried off and expected to go through
the same process over again. and this
was repeated SO long as the animal
lived. It was too much trouble to
milk herd of Shorthorn for
the average run of breed
ers who saw from two hundred to a
thousand dollars in every calf that
came. They had no use for mixers,
for a dairy, or milk either, for that
matter. 1t looked too much like
caring for the pennies and neglecting
the dollars. The result is that the
milking propensities of the Shorthorns
in this country. so long as they re-
manned in the hands of the breeders,
were not only neglected, but very
| nearly bred out of them. True. once
in a while an individual animal in
other herds would retain the propen-
Sity to such an extent as to compel
milking. but SO exceptional was this
as to be worthy Of remark, as a
notable instance of inherited qualities
that could not be bred out.
| During the years Of the century
many cold blooded animals were bred
to imported and full blooded bulls,
and the produce very widely distrib-
uted, as much so indeed as the pure
blooded animals; and it is these that
we find in the milking herds of the
country not the pedigreed cows. It
will take as many years for the latter
to recover the milking propensity as it
did to lose it. Such losses are not
made good at the will of the owner, or
by the prescription of a physician. In
the meantime our good old friend will
bear in mind that the Holsteins are
here all ready made to hand, giving
more milk than any other animal OF
breed, making more butter, and as
much beef The farmers of the West
are not willing to wait for the Short
horns to recoup their lost quality, and
are compelled to take and use the best