The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-03-23
THE DAIRY.
CRoSS-BREEDING DAIRY COWS.

the approval OF that paper, for some
reason. We publish it, it being our
policy to give writer's plenty of liberty
in expressing views, though they may
not always be according to our way of
thinking. EDITOR
Replying to your recent request for
some facts relating to the CROSS breed
ing of cattle, as far as justified by the
practical experience of the writer,
will endeavor to throw some additional
light upon very important and com
plex problem in breeding. Neither the
writer's experience nor the necessary
limits of such an article will permit Of
a very thorough or elaborate presenta
tion of the matter but hope others
more competent will take up the sub
ject where am compelled to leave off.
Mr.. 8. Hoxie's request for facts about
''cross breeding, in your paper, some
what surprised me, as would suppose
no one was more capable of writing
authoritatively on such a subject than
the veteran breeder of Guernseys and
Holsteina. Probably he desires to
see whether the experience Of others
comedies with his own.
once was part owner of small but
very select herd of high priced, highly
bred and well fed Holstein cattle. We
paid $3.50 each for calves under six
months of age, up to $500 for yearlings,
paying these prices in order to get the
best "butter bred" strains of the breed.
That was before the Babcock Tester
and its accompanying appliances and
methods revolutionized the value of
COWS and made the "battle of the
breeds" become one Of actual perform
ance (and value o. product based on
it's market value, showing the percent
age of profit or loss over cost of pro
duction), instead of fictitious records
of imaginative breeders.
Our Holsteins gave US large fowe of
milk, making an average Of 40, 80 and
anG so pounds of milk per day, but we
soon found that the amount Of butter
made was not over half what we had
been led to expect. Tests with the
Currie Oil Test Churn, and later with
DR.. Babcock's method, showed that
honestly we could not show an average
of over d to per cent. fat, and al
though the large yields of milk brought
the amount of butter up to the average
of grade herds, yet for breeder of
thoroughbred stock to carry Qor an in
stance) to the local creamery milk
showing the lowest percentage Of fat
of any patron was both embarrassing
and humiliating. We then tried to
dispose of our milk by conducting
retail milk business, but found we sold
the poorest quality of milk offered.
We also found the amount of feed con-
sumed to be enormous and out Of all
proportion to the value of fat product.
We then introduced some high grade
dairy strains of Durhams, crossing
them with registered Holstein bulls.
The Durhams gave milk slightly
higher in percentage of cream and fat,
and I would estimate about 10 to 25
per cent. and about the same percent
age less in amount of milk. Although
the Short horns were docile, and in
many ways desirable, yet we found
their tendency to ''dry up" and lay on
fat, made them Improbable from the
true dairyman's standpoint.
Then the changes Of time and the
vicissitudes OF fortune brought US to
the sunny South, where in the same
stable, under. the same conditions, we
could compare Holsteins, Jersey and
Guernseys, and their offspring,
through Guernsey sire.
The result of a test made in Febru-
ary, 1895, by the Babcock to show
quality of milk, quality and quantity
of feed gave
Q purebred Holsteins per cent.
pure fat.
purebred Jerseys per cent. pure
fat.
Il purebred Guernseys per cent.
pure fat.
| 23 Holstein and ] Guernsey 8 and
3 per cent. pure fat.
II Guernsey and Jersey per cent.
pure fat.
II Jersey and ! native calf per cent.
pure fat.
Ny conclusions were that the Hol-
stems ate 100 per cent. ''roughage" or
"coarse fodders," and 80 per cent.
more grain and would produce % to 80
per cent more milk and make one.half
as much butter to the 100 pounds of
milk as the Guernsey or Jersey.