Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1902-01-23
Facts for Our Farmers.
History of Some Dairy Breeds.

ne ulSlOIl VI SOIlc Vi the iUOTt III
miliar dairy and beef cattle is touched
Wilson in the New York Tribune
Farmer, many of the facts of which
the writer took from the publications
of Thomas Shaw. The article fol-
lows: OF course we all know that the
little Jerseys are more prolific in but.
ter and cheese than any other breed
This is measurably accounted for by
tie fact that for more than SEQ years
they have been bred for that purpose
on the island of Jersey, which is
British dependency, and since 1859
the Importation of other breeds OF
cattle into the island has been strictly
prohibited. except for the purpose of
Slaughter. hence, when we get an
animal direct from the island of Jer-
! sey we may know its blood is the
i acme of purity.
| The Guernseys are most excellent
breed for butter and cheese. They
are larger than the Jerseys. They
take their name from the island of
Guernsey, which is situated off the
northwest coast of France. They also
have been bred for centuries without
the admixture of any other blood.
That island is less genial in climate
than that of Jersey, the Guernsey
possesses something more of hardi.
ness than the Jerseys. They are
larger than the Jerseys and little
rougher in conformation. Their skin
is of rich orange color and their
milk and butter are noted for their
superlative golden coloring.
The Holstein-Friesian cattle are
supposed to have been known in Hol-
land during the entire Christian era
at least. They are large animals, and
the cows are noted for yielding large
quantities of milk, but not nearly so
rich in butter fat as the milk of the
two breeds named above. 1t seems
that their original breeders bred for
quantity of milk not quality, 1t is
fair to assume that their ancient
breeders knew little or nothing about
quality of milk, milk being milk, no
matter whence it came, and that was
all there was to it, The large produc-
ton of milk by the Holsteins has
caused something of revolution in
some sections in the method of breed
ing COWS strictly for their milk alone,
where il is shipped to the cities.
These milk dairymen had largely bred
up with Jersey blood, but finding a
lack of quantity they went to crossing
their Jersey COW with Holstein bulls,
and the cross-breels did produce more
milk. Holstein steers make most eX-
cellent oxen for labor, but they are
too bony for first quality of beef.
Having noticed some of the charac.
it is well now to turn to the beef
breeds. In point of numbers in the
| United States the shorthorns evident
ly come first. Their size is relatively
large, the standard colors are red,
white and red spotted and roam, red
being most in favor and white objec-
tionable. While all shades of roam
are admissible a red roam is preferred.
The body is long, broad and deep, and
equally covered with firm flesh. Legs
short, neat and trim, back wide,
straight and level, body almost a
parallelogram, capacious heart rooms,
horns short with slight downward or
upward tendency The well-kept
shorthorn steer is plump and symmet
rical They are inclined to early
growth and maturity, and with judi
cious care and feed are now often
made to weigh as much at IS to 20
months of age as they usually did at
years old. There are milking strains
among the shorthorns but while they
cannot equal the dairy breeds in the
production of dairy products still
some of them make the best dual pur
pose family cows. The breed is com.
paratively hardy.
Little is known of the Hereford
breed prior to the last half of the 18th
century. 1t is generally supposed
they descended from one or more of
the aboriginal breeds of Great Britain,
probably the Devon and Sussex, which |
were red in color, and these crossed |
by the white cattle of Wales, and |
these later by the white-faced Flemish |
cattle. The greater size of the Here
fords as compared with the Devon, !
Sussex and white faces of Wales is /
owing to the abundance of the food
products in Herefordshire, where the
breed originated. The herefords are
bette adapted to mild climates than
they are to the rigors of northern lati-
tudes, hence they are the ruling beef
cattle of our southwestern plains and
ranches. They usually possess one
feature, which if not a fault, Is GER
tainly pleasant to the beholder, and
that is their excessive growth of the
dewlap, while the trim shorthorns
have none.
The Aberdeen-Angus cattle are
polled breed and indigenous to Scot
land. They we're but little known in
this country prior to 1850. They are
also best adapted to temperate ell
mates when shelter can be given them 1
in winter. In size they follow closely |