Imperial Valley press., 1913-03-07
ENGLISH VIEW OF THE
GENERAL PURPOSE cow

London Live Stock Journal: 1t is
interesting to have other points Of view
and those who are thinking about and
figuring about cows will De entertained
at least by comments which p. McCon-
nell makes in the London Live Stock
Journal:
The discussion Of development of
cows with both the ability TO yield
milk and to fatten, calls attention to
the fact mat many OF the transatlantic
breeders do not believe in what is called
the dual purpose cow. Some of
the farm papers in the United States
argue and advise against any attempt
to bring out such a combination, and
indeed their condemnation is couched
sometimes in pretty strong language
the idea is looked on as heresy that
would lead to rural disaster. \ large
number of our American fellow COW
men maintain that the thing cannot
be done: that a beef animal is essen
TALLY ueef producer and should not
be developed for milk and a dairy cow
should keep her own province and
never he made worth fattening off.
The present writer has been ST.
much struck with the emphatic state
ment to the above effect made in one
Of the leading American dairy papers
that he has looked up the matter 4
little in view Of former declarations
and recent happenings. and submits
his finding herewith. To put the mai
Ter generally. he holds views diamet-
rically opposed to the American idea
and an attempt is made in this note tO
marshal some Of the facts at hand
bearing on the case. and to show thai
the general purpose cow. a we would
phrase 1t. cannot only be developed, nut
is even now in existence in large num-
bers.
Without diSparaging any other
breeds which are noted for both beei
and milk. it may be pointed out that
the Shorthorn has already been famous
for both qualities right Though its his
tory. To quote from the exhaustive
"History Of Sh0rthOrn Cattle" recently
issued: The improved Shorthorn has
achieved its predominant position by
reason Of its remarkable combination
Of the properties of beef making and
milk producing" and a long list OF
deep milking cows Of pedigreed an
cestry which have lived at various
times is given. Taking the last siS
wears at the Dairy Show Of London
the average Sh0rthOrn has yielded 49.2
pounds of milk a day. with 3.91 pei
cent Of butter fat, while the "Official
standard Of the society ISSUED some
years ago is $500 pounds Of milk pei
annum-greater than that allowed for
any other breed excepting the Dutch
and the butter yield per day is put
down at the same figure as the Jersey
and the Guernsey.
The above figures apply to ordinary
Shorthorns-that is, those that have
been more particularly bred or kept
for milk-While not losing sight OF
their value for beef afterwards; il
other words. the nOn-pedigreed dairy
variety. Shorthorn men, however, be-
gan TO bethnk themselves a dOZel
years ago that even the pedigreed AM
nal had not lost its milking power, anC
that this might be brought out a little
in these days when milking was as
valuable as beef. Accordingly, some
ten years ago, the ShOrthorn Society
began to offer prizes for the hes
milking animals Of pedigree strain
that is for cows that We're either
registered in the herd book or eligible
for entry therein. Now. it may bt
necessary to remind some people thai
pedgreed ShorthOrn is essentially &
beef animal The Brothers Colling
who first took up the scientific evo-
luton Of the breed out of the abOrg-
inal "Teeswaters, applied the principle
taught them by the great Bakewell
who worked with the LonghOrns, anC
devoted themselves to the making Of .
superior beef producer, to help supply
1.-The roast beef Of Old England" TheiI
successors for 100 years followed the
same lines, and the milking capacity Of
the mothers Of some Of the mighty
beeves Of bygone generations were
taken no notice Of. Alongside Of this
however the unpedigreed ShOrthOrn
was kept and developed for milking
purposes, and herds Of milking animals
have been in the majority in many
districts, and these animals, without
any specialization in developing a beet
tendency, were fattened off for the
butcher after a milking career, and il
was, and is. quite common experience
to realize for fat cow only a few
pounds less than she cost or was worth
when first "laid i'm as mixer.
II occurred, therefore. to the lead
ers in the ShOrthorn world that as their
beef ShOrthorns had not altogether lost
the power Of milking well, and as il
minht be developed, the above noted
prizes were offered to various bodies
for the best pedigreed mixers. The
result has been so satisfactory that to
the mind of the present writer it com
pletely proves the possibility Of max
ing and the desirability Of owning an
animal with duplicate power.
II is Of course, necessary to pro-
duce facts and figures in support Of
the above thesis, and ! now proceed
TO do so. The prizes for pedigreed
mixers have been competed for at sew
prsI> shows. but as ! am best acquaint-
ed with the tests conducted at the
show Of the British Dairy Farmers
Association, | shall limit myself to
these.
When a class was made at that
show for pedigreed Shortllorn cows,
there was standard Of points" fixed
for each breed as follows:
Pedigree ShOrthOrns. ns........ 80
pedigree ShorthOrns. 10
Lincolnshire Reds. 100
Jersey ..........-. 70
Guernsey 85
Red Poll 80
AYRSHIRE 90
Kerry and Dexter. IS
=. Devon 1oo
II may be necessary to explain that
at the above trials the milk Of two