The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-02-01


| fat, and not so churnable as the milk
| Of the two former. When no longer
profitable for the dairy on account Of
age OF individual defects, she fattens
kindly and makes large return in
good beef. The Ayrshire is also noted
| for her large yield of milk of good
| quality, but not rich in butter fat. She
| is not desirable as beef animal. It is
| fair to say that the Jersey and Guern-
sey are especially fitted for butter pre-
duction, while the Holstein and Ayr
shire are better suited for n milk dairy
or for producing milk for consumption
as such.
There are some dairy farmers who
prefer what is called general pur-
pose cow" or an animal that will yield
fair quantity and quality Of milk and
will fatten we'll at the close Of a milk
| ing period, or when no longer desired
| for dairy purposes. Certain strains Of
| Shorthorns, it is claimed. will fill these
| requirements.
| In commencing the business Of dairy
| ing it is we'll for the farmer to decide
promptly the particular line of work he
will follow. 1t is by no means neces-
sary to start With a herd of none but
| pure bred animals. but it is highly i'm
portant to have at the head of this herd
a pure bred bull and two or three pure
bred. COWS For strictly dairy purpose
a grade cow may be just as profitable
as a pure bred. and will generally cost
much less. But few suggestions in
regard to the several points which in
! dictate desirable Qualities-or the re-
verse-v-ill not be out of place
| The head should be rather small, but
/ proportionately long. with a narrow
muZzle. The eyes should be small, but
with a bright and intelligent look. The
! horns should be small. and set rather
| wide apart at the bases. The neck
should be long. slender and with a
! graceful taper toward the head and
with no loose skin below. The Shout
! ders should be thin and the forequar
ters light: the headquarters should be
! large and open Or loose jointed," the
! back straight. and broad across the pei
/ Wis The body should be deep, TAIL
! long and slender and the legs small
: rather short with smooth, firm joints.
! The udder should be broad, square and
capacious and stretching forward. but
not fleshy. low hung nor loose. The
milk veins should be large and
prominent and the teats large and set
J we'll apart from each other The skin
should he loose and thin, and the hair
soft and fine.
! An individual cow Of any breed may
be deficient in one or more of the above
points and yet prove to be an excellent
mixer, but if one conforms in all the
points she can hardly fail to be supe-
rior animal, and such close conformity
is proof of careful previous breeding
and guarantee that her offspring
will be like herself if the COW be prop
erly mated. 1t may be also added that
so called scrub" cow may be all that
could be desired as a dairy animal.
even equal to a thoroughbred. but there
will be no certainty that her offspring
will partake of the same character.
Prepotency, or the power to transmit
certain qualities to the offspring. is one
of the results of a long course Of care
full breeding. and this power resides
chiefly in the male parent; hence all
efforts to improve the common stock of
the country should be guided by the
rule that the bull should be a thorough
bred, registered animal and the COW
should be the best of it's kind.