The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-07-08
The General-Purpose Cow.

The General-Purpose Cow.
The time may come when every
where there will be pure-bred cattle,
and nothing else, but that time is GER
tainly now long way of. As the
case at present stands, the great bulk
of our cattle is very common and
scrubby indeed, and the best that can
be done with these is to gradually and
as fast as practicable grade them up
improve them both by selections and
crosses on pure-bred males. 9
An important problem is up for soIu-
ton at the very start in this under-
taking, and that is as to the direction
that should be taken in this matter
whether, in other words, we should go
in the milk and butter or in the beef
direction.
The strictly beef breeds are usually
poor when at their best when it comes
to the milk pail; the little jersey is .
type of the very poor when it comes
to being put on the butchers block
So much is this thought to be the fact
by men whose main business Is raising
choice beef cattle that they regard the
general introduction of Jersey blood;
as a serious blow to the best for their
industry. Thus when Jersey cattle
first began to be brought 70 Kentucky
at all extensively this was the attitude,
and they were much opposed and
sneered at, but in spite Of that they
have become established end repre-
sentatively fill q great place in our
agricultural and best food economy
If fine cream and butter meet the
want, then to the little Jersey we must.
go as the basis Of operations best cal-
culated to secure our general-pnrpose
COW, making up for the loss on beef
account at the end Of it ell by gains
otherwise made on the way to that
end.
On many farms, ON most farms, M
deed, the milk and butter stand relsted
to direct home supplies only, and when
that is the case then the trend should
clearly be in the direction of beef
This is mostly as we find It and mostly
in the common interest as il should be-
Beyond any doubt the nesrest ap-
proach to the ideal in this respect - the
Shorthorn or Durham breed Of caf7e
more gentle and kindly than they. The
beef they make ranks with the best, a.
evidenced by show-rings results secured
under this crucial test. In like mai-,
ner have they earned rank with the best
when it comes to the production ok
frst-class milk and butter, To-day IN
England there are dairymen who,
though compelled to make every edge
cut to make their business pay, w:Ii
have nothing but Shorthorns. And il
has long been 80 there.
Cattle come to their best and begin
to decline as mixers some time before
they are really what should bersgarded
as old; and when they do so, they arc
in good form for fattening and mailing
into excellent beef, if Of the beef breeds
1t is far different if they are of other
than the beef breeds. Then the males
of the beef breed, when not wanted
for purposes of increase, are made into
steers, that yield the choicest beef of
the markets of the world Millions Of
dollars worth of just such beef leave
the bluegrass pastures of Kentucky an
nually, going to the great centers q
and not a little Of it in tia
live state across the sea. In imagina-
tion-fet us compare herd OF sucls
steers with like herd made from the
best of the strictly cream and butter
breeds.
There is, of course, room for all and
q place for all; only it is important TO
remember, in dealing with our general
purpose Cow, that if We would get
there all right, we should start right,
adapting the means to the ends, and
not putting a butter-and-cream cow
where beef one will pay far better,
or vice versa.
Circumstances should also be taken
into account in considering this matter
The heavier and beef
breeds of cattle need fare and pas
turage that is generous according TO
their size. Whilst the ease for the
cream and butter breed is not TO be
stated in terms the opposite of this
the rule that something never comes
from nothing always obtaining-it Is
the fact that the smaller kinds often
prosper and greatly strengthen family
resources where the larger would ine-
vitably starve. Home and Farm.