The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-04-19
BY F.. c. EKEIH.

the inherent characteristics u
uniting good dairy qualities or not
Who will undertake to Judge pv tho
apuearance Of a bull if he is n th8t
viii transmit fine dairy qualities or
whether he is worthless.
The man who will discover some
means Of so Judging will confer a ben-
eft on breeders that q scarcely be
estimated.
There are two principles that are
especially concerned with breeding
and should be kept in mind. The first
&c that Like produces like and the
second is the law of natural Narla-
tions."
The dairy cow of today is largely
an artificial product or perhaps II
would be better to say she is an alb
have been abnormally developed by
taking advantage of the law of natu-
raj variations.
The rule of like produces like is
only true to a limited extent and the
farther we get away from the Original
type in breeding the m1sier the pro-
portion Of cases Where it holds Sood.
This accounts for the fact often OBJ
served that the offspring of a phenon-
email COW are often sappointing.
However, it will be found that on
the average there will be more good
animals among the offspring of such A
cow than among those from a COW of
moderate or low dairy capacity.
We must always expect to find in
ferior animals appearing frequently in
II - @z11 81 - -@S1nk
the inferior ones promptly when dis
covered. The higher developed we
get our cows. the more difficulty we
must expect in keeping them all up
10 the standard.
In selecting a bull for a mixed herd
or n of low dairy capacity any we'll
bred bull of a dairy breed with good
producing individuals behind him is
certain to benefit the herd. Ever for
the grade herd, the exceptional bull
that will transmit qualities f41her
than the average of his breeds is
worth more than two or three infe-
riOr ones.
There are two courses open to the
man in selecting a herd bull. One is
to buy q young bull on the strength
of the records of his ancestors and
trust to luck to a certain extent that
he will be one hat will transmit the
60 CpiS l. IStiNS VI Ako Oil
c~estors to a high degree.
As g. rule sue d bull will do fairly
well at least in transmitting these
characteristics. For the owner Of
grade cattle or herds Of low dairy ca
paCity, this method Of selection does
very we'll.
In selecting q young bull the pcdi-
gree including the records Of ancestors
is of as much or more Importance
ihon tho n1iyjd I,a1ifv IF tho animal
The things to be looked .or in the
pedigree are first of all records of the
animal if you are breeding for milk
production. If you are breeding for
show animals, get q descendant Of
animals.
There are some who refuse to have
2 bull from the phenomenal record
making cows for fear the Vitality OF
the calf will be weakened. | belong
to the large majority who want the
dam to have the highest recOrd posi-
bic, other things being equal. [ dc
not expect more than a few Of heI
close descendants Will inherit this
high quality but the chances are bet
ter for them to average up we'll thar
they would be for a COW Of lower pro
ductive capacity.
There is q general belief among
breeders that the characteristics 81
the Gam of the sire are Transmitted
stronger to his descendants than are
the characteristics Of any other single
animal. How much there is in this
belief, / an not prepared to say.
Next in importance to the dams
records comes the RECORD Of the sire's
daughters. If the bull has sired mans
high testing daughters it is a gooC
evidence but not certain tina his Sor
will transmit these characters.
Third in importance comes tn.
grand dams and 50 on through tn,
pedigree.
1t Mould be kept in mind Away.
that it is much more important t.
have a good animal for parent thar
Il noted animal back in the thirt
OF fourth generation.
frequently hear men speak Of hav
ing a pedigreed bull and when 70,
examine this r4'edtsTee the sninre,
mentioned is found in the third O
fourth generation which means the,
consider the most important fac
about the bull to be the 6 IA or Il /
per cent of the blood of the note,
hull he may carry. The close ances
= - ~- W.