Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-11-01
MILKING SHORTHORNS
FOR THE NORTHWEST
NV PROF. THos. SHAW,


South Quebec the largest importation
Of milking Shorthorns ever brought
to America Heretofore only few
individuals Of this class have ever
crossed the Atlantic for this country.
These cattle were purchased in Eng
land by Mr.. J. J. Hill, and will be
Drought to his North Oaks farm not
far from St. Paul. Mr.. Hill is a
strong believer in the value OF the two
purpose COW, that is, the COW for milk
and also for beef, usually spoken OF
now as the dual purpose COW, and OF
cows Of this class he regards none as
superior to the milking Shorthorns,
called in Britain the dairy Shorthorn.
He believes that this type OF COW ia
one that is admirably suited to the
needs OF the average farmer, and In
this he is unquestiopably right, not
withstanding the teaching OF many in
our experiment stations to the con-
frary.
Many in those stations have taught
that there was no place for the dual
COW on the farm. They have said she
was "a myth. delusion and a snare"
They have claimed that to keep her on
the farm was like going to hunt
prairie chickens with bull pup" or
like riding into battle ON heavy
draught horse" Those men we're hon
est in their statements, but they sim
ply did not know. They thought they
knew, but they we're mistaken. More
over, they claimed that dual cattle
could not be bred For twenty-five
years some OF those men have been
diligently propagating that nonsense,
and the public funds have borne the
expense.
The folly OF such teaching will be
apparent from the following: In Eng
land there is today an association for
promoting the interests Of this breed.
This association has now 1856 mem
bers. In 1919 1t published the records
Of milk production from 2S4 females,
Of which quite a percentage were
heifers with their first lactation pc
riod.
The average OF milk production
from these was between 1000 and
5000 pounds for the year. Some went
higher than 10000 pounds. At Kel-
enscott, Lechlade, Worcestershire, the
owner, Robert Hobbs has kept milk
Ing Shorthorns constantly since 1878.
The herd now numbers nearly 200
COWS In milk. Since 1908 the average
Of all these, including large lot OF
heifcrs, in milk production has been
considerably more than 5000 pounds
each year. The COW Dulcie 7th, with
a cne-year milk record ending May 81,
1918, gave 1883 pounds. and the COW
Roee S7th 14.277 pounds. Many other
Instances Of similar production may
be cited. Cows Of this breed stand
first In the milking trials OF the shows
more frequently than those OF any
other breed, including the milking
breeds.
While the production Of milk is thus
highly satisfactory, all the males not
wanted for beef are grown into bul.
locks. They are reared ON skim milk
and adjuncts during the milk period.
They are sold at the age Of eighteen
10 thirty months At twenty-four
months they usually average not less
than 200 pounds, and sell for 500
20 s12b each, They are iayorltes with
the butcher, as there is less loss in
cutting up the carcass than with bul.
locks reared on the dams There 10 n
larger proportion OF lean and less un.
desirable fat on the hand reared
steers. II Is fact that fully so por
cent Of the milk used In Britain
comes from pure and grade Shorthorns
and nearly as high percentage OF
the meat Mr.. Powell the venerable
secretary OF the Shorthorn association,
told the writer that even many OF the
breeders OF Scotch shorthorns arc
now milking their herds, Think OF the
prices which those cattle bring, AT
the dispersal sale OF Garrett Taylor
last year 1Sl females OF all ages sold
for an average OF RsS, 16s, Cd. The
people Of Argentina, South Africa
New Zealand and Australia are now
buying these cattle in large numbers,
and yet the wise men OF our stations
claim that they can't be- bred.
Mr. Hil's shorthorn importation
consists Of twenty.oight animals, OF
which three are males, The females
are young cows from two TO six years
old They are ell now milking and
win cpiye again in due time. lndiyid.
ually they rank high. having been
chosen with much care. They have
milk records running from 5000 N
10000 pounds a year.
There is certainly large room for
this class ot cattle in all the North.
western states. This does not mean
that there ls no place for the dairy
hreeds. There IL wide place also
Tor the dairy breeds, but viewed from
tho standpoint Of the present and pros.
pectiye demand for beef there Is q
much larger place for dual cattle,
This In future must come from the
Rruhie farm and Il lnUnt come mainly
from dual cattle that win be mllked.