Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-05-15

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Some dairy cattle are noted for the
quantity of milk they produce, others
for the high quality or richness Of their
milk, which means they are good but
ter producers. Some combine quantity
and quality.
There are cows of active habits
which forage well on wide range Of
scanty pasture and will pro6tably
work up the coarser kinds Of food in
winter. There are others which have
proved their capacity for making good
returns when more closely confined
and subjected to high feeding. Some
cows give great flow of milk for
comparatively short season, and others
are noted for an even, steady yield of
milk the year through. AS a rule, the
different dairy characteristics named
pertain to different breeds, so that
every dairyman is likely to find some
one breed Of dairy cattle better suited
to his wants than any other. There
is no special cheesemaking COW. The
best butter COW is also the best for
cheese. This fact has been demon
strated beyond dispute.
There are two very different ways Of
forming dairy herd and of maintain
ing its size and quality. 1t may be
done by buying or by breeding, and
these two methods may be combined.
The purchasing plan is practiced to
considerable extent by those who
produce milk for town and city supply.
In few cases it has been known to
be successful where the work Of the
herd was to make butter. Applied in
! its extreme form, cows are bought
when matured and at their prime.
judged almost exclusively by their
milk yield, are highly fed, so as to
keep steadily gaining in flesh, and are
sold, usually to the butcher. as soon
as they cease to be profitable as milk
ers. The bull may be of any kind so
long as he gets the cows in calf, as
the calves are Of value only as caus-
ing "fresh" cows and are disposed of
as soon as possible. The first modifl-
cation of this system is to keep extra
good COWS for several seasons and the
next to raise helfers from some of the
best mixers to replenish the herd
This way Of making up herd and
keeping good its numbers requires
abundant capital and rare judgment in
buying and in selling. 1t cannot be
recommended to one lacking expert
ence, and even the shrewd buyer runs
great risk of introducing disease.
The other extreme Is to begin with
few we'll selected animals as foun-
dation and gradually build up the herd
to the size desired by judicious breed
ing and natural increase. This method
takes time, and time which may be
money, but 1t is by far the safer and
more satisfactory in its results.
A desirable combination In starting
is to buy the number of cows desired
and good animals Of the sort determin.
ed in advance. If ones means will
permit include a few superior cows
and a first class bull ut any rate. Lei
the cows selected be such as have had
two calves and perhaps three, so that
they may be judged by their own de
velopment and yet be young enough tC
improve and be in full profit for some
years. With herd thus formed be
gin at once the work of improvement
by breeding and selection. Sell prompt
ly any COW which proves unsatisfac
tory and replace her by the best in
crease Of the herd, or purchase occa
sionally an animal which will raise tn,
average quality.
A dairyman can hardly be advised
to buy at once full stock of pur,
bred cattle of any breed II his sole oh
ject and dependence for profit is to b
the dairy product Of the herd. Sucl
a venture will necessltate large invest
ment and should include the breeding
Of registered animals, for sale at re
, munerative prices. as part of tn
business. Well bred and we'll selecte
grade COWS Of the line of blood dc
, sired seem to be the most proftabl
animals for the practical dairyman o
at least the best to begin with. II en-
, terprlsing and progressive the owne
= will hardly be content with grade
only. He may begin with only his buI
= pure bred. Presently he will want
y registered COW to match, then one o
:, two more.
The bull is constantly referred to a
: "the head" of the herd, and that trit
!. saying, "The bull is half the herd,
q should never be forgotten. The grad
j. dam may be selected and largely r,
: lied upon to give size, form, constitl
r ton and capacity of production to he
n heifer calf. Its dairy quality, the ii
. bred power TO increase the richness {
o milk, is derived from the pure bred sir
/. One COW may prove poor dam or fa
l. TO breed and still give profit In mill
/. Such u loss is comparatively trivi'
I. and the fault easily corrected But
the bull fails or proves poor sire th
!, entire increase OF year may be los
n In getting a bull get the best, or {
Q least approach that standard as near
" as possible A common error anon
10 dairymen is to use immature bulls an
q to dispose of good ones before the
,s merit as sires has been fairly prove
N Bull calves are cheap, and young bul
Ia are considered much easier to handl
q But II is good advice to the buyer
n. purchase bull Of some age, who
n progeny proves his value as a breede
ar rather than calf Of exceptional pee
q. vree, and TO the owner, having a 81
m II proved excellence, to keep him nj
NJ use him for years or as long rs
" shows himself potent and prepoter
Of OF course the question Of too close
8. breeding is not forgotten and must n
es be overlooked by the breeder II
n. writer is u thorough believer In the u
ID of mature bulls Of known value
he sires
VS. The chief objection made to bulls
K. some nre IL that they nre likely to