The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1913-08-01
THE cows.
{ By F. w. Culbertson.)

of the breed as seen in this country.
The early Dutch settlers in America
undoubtedly brought their favorlle
cattle with them during the seven
teenth century, and there are definlte
records of three or four importatiohs
prior to 1850; but the credit OF flrst
introducing this breed to America ana
it's purity here is due 10
Winthrop w. Chenery, OF Mas
sachusetts. He made three importa-
lions between 1857 and 1867. Inc
Messrs. Gerrit S. and Dudley Miller,
of New York followed in 1867, ana
soon thereafter numerous others
brought animals of this breed in con,
siderable numbers to the United
States. They have increased rapidly
by importations and by breeding, anu
are now to be found in nearly all
parts of this country.
CHARACTERISTICS striking fea-
lures in the appearance of this breed
are the color markings or black anu
white and the large size OF the anililais
of both sexes. The shining jet niack
contrasts wildly with the pure white
the fine, silky hair being upon a sou
and mellow skin of medium thickness
In some animals the black preuoni-
mates and the white in others. BLACK
has been rather preferred among
American breeders, to the almost Ell
tire exclusion of white in some cases,
yet very few note animals have been
manly white. ''he average animal
carries more black than white,an1 the
distribution and outlines of the mark
ings are extremely irregular. The
black and white are never mixed, the
lines of demarcation being usually
sharply drawn. In Europe there are
still some red cattle in this breed, and
occasionally a purely bred calf is
dropped in this country with bright
red instead of black, showing the in
fluence of some remote ancestor; but
none are admitted to the American
Herd Book except those black and
white. In size the Holsteins are the
largest of all the dairy breeds. The
big, bony frames are usually well fill
ed out and the chest, abdomen and
pelvic region are fully developed 1t
is difficult to prevent the males from
becoming too fleshy for breeding ami
mails, and the females, when not in
milk, take on flesh rapidly and soon
become full in form. The cows range
in weight from 1000 to 1900 pounds,
most of them between LOO and 1,4OO,
with an average of about ESQ pounds.
The bulls at maturity are very large
and heavy, often above 2 500 pounds
in weight. The head is long, rather
narrow and bOny, with bright yet quiet
eyes and large mouth and nOStrilS.
The horns are small and fine, often
incurving, and frequently white with
black tips. The ears are large, thin,
and quick in movement. The neck Is
long. slender, and tapered in the cows,
it's upper line often quite cOncave.
The back line Is usually level parti-
cularly with the males and the hips
broad and prominent; some have
well-rOundd buttocks, but a dropping
rump is not uncommon. The legs ap-
pear small for the weight carried and
are quite long; the tail is long and
fine and white brush Is required
The udder is often of extraordinary
size, filling the space between legs
set we'll apart, extending high behind
and fairly well forward, with teats of
large size and well placed. Teats are
sometimes cone-shaped and uncOm-
fortably large and puffy where at
are usually prominent and sometimes
remarkably developed. There is
more marked inclination toward the
beef form among the bulls than among
the cows; the latter are generally of
the true dairy type.
In temperament these animals are
quiet and docile, bulls as well as
cows, and the bulls exceptionally so.
They have great constitutional vigor.
The calves are large at birth. almost
always strong and thrifty, and they
grow fast and fatten easily. They
mature early, heifers reaching their
full height at two and half years and
showing no growth after four or five
years except the addition of flesh and
fat. Animals of both sexes can be
readily turned into very good beasts
for slaughter at almost any age. but
they lack depth in the loin and ribs
and have not the finish and quality
of the noted beef breeds. These ami
mails are very large feeders and at the
same time dainty about their eating.
TO do their best they must have an
abundance of rich food without the
necessity of much eXertiOn to get il.
Milk and butter records.-These
IN proportion to their size. The
DUN proportion to their size. The
breed is famous for enormous milk
producers. Records are abundant of
COWS giving an average above their
own live weight in milk monthly for
ten or twelve consecutive months
ana there are numerous authentic in
stances of daily yields of 100 pounds
or more for several days in succession
and 10000 to 10000 pounds of milk
in one year. Cows giving 40 TO 60
pounds (or to gallons) Der dav
are regarded as average animals. =.
800 to 5000 pounds per year is de-
pended upon as herd average.
known record of IL cows from tn 3
years old is 11,2S6 pounds Tor $3.50
quarts per cow, the average milking
period being three hundred and fortv-
one days. Another herd of 12 cows
AVERAGED S.S05 pounds a year Tor
O6i quarts) for four years. The milk
or these very large producers is yener-
ally pretty thin low in percentage of
total solids, and deficient in fat. The
cows have been favorites for dairy
men doing milk supply business, but