The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-07-12
THE IDEAL LIVE STOCK
OCCASIONAL VALUE OF ACCT
DENTS IN NATURE


yania-Four High Bred Heifers
ut One Hirth-The Product
Three-Fourths shOrthorn ana
One-Fourth HOIstein - Specuia-
ton as to Their Breeding Power.
In breeding live stock, as in almost every
other lines of human endeavor, the progressive
man socks an ideal: and If he cannot find 1t
among dealers he proceeds to do what ne
can in the way of its creation himseH. vi
course a good many b.unders are committed
in these attempts, and sometimes very luhhy
issues result, but now and then an advance
sep is made. There are some men VINO Gu
deavor to impress others with the IDEA 'hat
they know everything that is worth knowing
in regard to breeds. These are just the KIM
of teachers every sensible man should shun
1t is the man who gives his opinions win
some reserve whose suggestions are Vaiuape.
There is so much knowledge yet to be ac-
acquired concerning breeds and the best
methods of breeding that no one but 1901
will assume that he knows it al.
The accidents of nature sometimes produce
the most remarkable results while the more
studied attempts may result in repeated rail-
ures For instance, what sane man wou
start cut with the idea of creating a prsed
of cows that would give four young at Dir h !!
Il would be Almost as absurd propo-i-
ton as to attempt to create a bird with
single feather. But by an accident or Leak
of nature Pennsylvania COW dropped four
heifers in one litter and the qaartette, every
one identical,y alike, are now past the year
ling period, having been born May b, 1851.
And already speculation is beginning as TO
whether these four heifers may not yet De
the means of starting a breed as prollnc as
their own dam. The successful deve-oF ment
of such a theory would certainly afford
grand stimulus to the live stock industry.
The dam of these heifers is very lrge
grade Ho,stein cow-that is TO say, she was
half Holstein and hat Shorthorn. The sire
was q Shorthorn, and thus the issue became
tree-fourths Shorthorn and one-fourth Ho-
STEIN And what is equally interesting they
all resemble the Shorthorn in form and In
color, being a dark red. The dam was spotted
black and white, but every one of the quar-
tette, by reason of its form and color, af-
fords another evidence of the prerotency OF
the Shorthorn sire.
Along with the speculative theory as to
what may result from the mating of the
young animals, comes a scientific principe
which, in a measure, may be put to test 1t
is a pretty geneI ally established rule that in
the case of twins, especially where the issue
is a male and female, the latter is barren
The same is said TO true in the human fam
lily, although there are recorded exceptions
In discussing this particular case, the Rural
New Yorker says:
If they do not breed, it is another most in
teresting speculation as to VIE her there Will
be anything unusual in their progeny. 1t is
a well known fact that some human famili s.
addicted to the twin habit, and this pro-
pensity is transmitted from generation to
generation. The Dorset sheep very pro-
life, and if anything, twins more fire.
quent with them than single lambs 1t may
be that this Holstein COW may be the pro-
genitress of a race that will bring forth
twins, twin twins and the mother of twins.
But will they all be hefers? We shall watch
the outcome with much interest.
Such a breed would assuredly be ideal in
every sense of the word particularly, as in
this case the Shorthorn sire of a SUI
perior milking family, while, we all know,
the Hostein is a conspicuous type of the
milking species. With this Shorthorn and
Holstein cross the much-decried combination
of milk and beef type would be assured
However, It is just as well not to rely too
strongly upon the issue in this case. A little
patience will reward us with knowledge on
all the interesting points involved.