The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1895-09-12
The EECLUTICN Or TIE DAIRY
CCW

. ONO state University at olumou-. -.
by Prof. {. :. thumb, Purdue University
Lafayette, Ind.
OF the early history of domesticateC eC
cattle, we know but LITTLE. Boys
Dawkins. an Englishnan. and Pueti
MEYER, German. have devoted con
siderable research to the history of tht
European species. Two groups of cat
tie are commonly referred to by aatur
alists; B iadicWs. the bumped cattle o.
India, and B0a tdEFaS, those lacking ths
hump. These srecies differ RADICAL,
in numerous Important respects and
according 10 Darwin there can hardly
be doubt notwithstanding the ad
verse opinion of some naturalists. that
the bumped and non-humped cattle
must be ranked as specifically dis:
tinct." The common cattle of Europe
and America are generally referred to
Us of the type Bos taurus.
However. the res, arches of Dawkins
and Euetimever have shown n numbef
of prehistoric forms to have existed.
Of these. says Darwin, Bod primigonia,
and Bos ORgfr1nS are the most import;
ant. Primfgc0iHS, d large, magnificent
beast, was domesticated in Switzer:
land during the Neolithic period, and
existed as wild animal in Caesars
time. LoHgiJrons was very distinct
species of small size, with short body
and fine legs. 1t w also the com:
monest form in domesticated condi-
tion in Switzerland during the earliest
part Of the Ncoiithic period. ''On the
whole we may conclude. more especial.
~ from the researches of Boyd Dawk.
ins, that European cattle are descended
from two species; and there is no i'm
probability in this fact, Tor the genus
Bos readily yields to domestication."
From these two species, it is assumed
By some of the greatest investigators
on the subject, have descended our do.
mesticutcd breeds of to-day,
[ From these early csta blished species
1t is reasona Bile to assume our present
numerous different breeds or varieties
have descended. In 1850 Moll aud
Gayot enumerated fifty-fve European
breeds of cattle, and this list may he
considerably extended at the present
Gay. The writer has secured list OF
scribcd in 1887.
1t would be impossible to determine
the range or varieties which have oc-
CURED in very early times, but it
probably was not great While changes
of climate and food materially as.
sisted III producing variation, a more
important factor was the breeder HIM
self.
Early works On agriculture devote
but little attention to live stock hus-
bandry, and one can fnd only the
most limited reference TO such thing
as breeds of cattle. while many pages
nre devoted to the culture of crops In
1915 J. w. Gent (John Worlidge) wrote
as follows concerning the COW; The
best sort is the large Dutch COW, that
brings two calves at one birth and gives
ordinarily two gallons of milk at one
meal" In large volume of 32s pages.
one-fourth of pnge refers to COWS"
and "oXen," while the above quotation
is the only reference to a breed.
In lTS9 George Gully, in his "Observa-
tions on Live Stock" writes of six
breeds of cattle on the British islands.
which includes the wild breed"
From the middle of the eighteenth
century, however, breed lines became
more and more distinct, for it was
about this time that the in fuence of
notably in the person of Robert Bake
we'll Since then there have been de-
veloped many so-called new breeds.
Excepting in the low countries
bordering the Baltic and North seas,
the value of the milking quality
did not receive such general recog
nition in early times as the beef
quality. Most of the writers prior to
the nineteenth century rarely refer TO
the dairy COW or to the development of
such class.
The speaker then discussed the early
history of several breeds of cattle.
1t is consequently evident, from his
torical data at hand, that in carly
lines there were but few breeds of cat
lie, and these were mainly valued for
meat The Hollanders and the Swiss
were probably the first TO direct much
attention to dairy breeds, and possibly
for four hundred years the former
have set special value on the milking
quality.
No doubt good milkers existed in
these early days, yet the character of
the type of the best dairy animal must
have somewhat changed since then, if
we can depend on the descriptions of
even so years ago. Writing of the Ayr
shire, Alton in describing the shapes
approved of, commends round, fleshy
outtocks, large hind quarter and small
.eats To-day on a dairy breed such
Duttocks are not to be thought of. and
The quarter should be spare of flesh. A
leavy buttocil and hind quarter was
oroba bly, characteristic of the early
type of this breed, which was rated
nigh for fattcning. Instead of being
small, there is now a astandard Ayrshire
eats, which should be from 2ht to S
inches long.
lgo 4 coarsencss existed among dairy
,attle, tending towards beefiness, that
would not meet with favor in a dairy
.ype to-day. The conditions of care
md management and the lack of
of laws of breeding at that
.,ne would justify such conclusions.
Animals were from necessity more ex-
,osed to open and inclement weather,
md great deal of coarse food was
ised in maintaining body heat and nu-
rition, that in this day might be
into milk where body heat
S properly protected. To-day. in time
If peace and quiet, the occupation of
he breeder will permit of systematic
breeding upward. In the early days
If European history, constant wars
Ind strife prevented very extended at.
empts at breeding in a systematic
manner, SO that it is not reasonable to
,xpect that anything remarkable was
in the way of intensity
ng the milking habit.
In this country, however, the i'm
has been an important one,
is is demonstrated in numerous ways.
lf the prominent dairy breeds. the
Relief in Six Hours.
Distressing Kidney andBlad-