Oxford eagle., 1915-09-16
By JOHN MrcHELsJ

est and most satisfactory way OF start
ing a dairy herd Is to select as founda-
ton stock good grade COWS and a pure
bred bull OF one Of the strictly dairy
breeds. The grading up will be most
rapid when the predominant blood In
the grades corresponds with the blood
OF the sire
A foundation OF this kind. OF course.
does not produce stock that can be
registered but By continuing the use
Of good pzrehred bulls OF the same
blood. stock 10 soon obtained which.
90 far ss milk and butter production
are concerned. very closely approaches
IN value that Of pure breeding
To start with . purebred herd is
practically beyond the means Of the
majority OF farmers Furthermore.
there 10 an objection to placing well
eared-for. pure-bred cows under aver
age conditions as to feed. care and
management. because under any such
change the attainment Of satisfactory
results would be practically impos-
sible- Where there IL q gradual in
fusion Of pure blood. as In the case
OF grading up a herd with pure-hred
stres. the new blood Is gradually ac-
eustomed TO the change Of environ
nent and the hertsman Is given the
necessary time to change his methods
TO meet the requirements Of pure
bred cattle.
Where the datryman understands
the management Of pure-bred stock
and has the means with which to pur-
chase the right kind. a purebrec herd
may Be started TO good advantage.
One Of the chief dangers In start
Ing with 4 pure-bred herd Is the lack
Of funds to procure the right sor, OF
animals Instead Of purchasing a pure
bred bull and q number Of pure-bred
cows OF common merit. IL Is better
policy TO buy relatively cheap grade
cows. and 10 add the money thus
saved 10 that originally set aside for
the bull This extra money Is likely
10 be the means Of securing q bull OF
outstanding merit
Whether the cows be grades or
pure-breds. IL Is OF the highest i'm
portance in building up q dairy herd
to secure a pure-bred bull CT real
merit Unless the bull Is descended
from good mixers. IL Is folly to az
peet him 70 produce good mixers. no
matter how nns or IDEAL he NAV be
as an individual
II IL. furthermore. Of importance IN
remember that q herd cannot be sue
eessfully built Up unless the bulls that
are suecesstvely used belong to the
same breed II the grading I'd Is be-
gun with a Jersey bull the process
must be continued uninterruptedly by
the use OF Jersey blood
The Importance OF the dairy sire is
recognized In the expression: The
bull Is half the herd Usually. how.
ever. the bull is more than half the
herd. either for good or bad In the
case OF common or grade cows. for ex.
ample. the pGre-bred bull nav coun,
tor tnree-Suarters or more Of the
herd BY reason OF his greater pre.
potency To 50 great an extent does
tne bull determine the improvement
or deterioration Of the herd as 70 cali
Tor the utmost caution In his selection
In the case Of dairy bull. especial
iy young bull. his chief value Is de-
tsrnined BY the performance Of hl,
ancestry The points Of greatest in
portance to consider in his pedigree
are the following: ll The mertf
OF his mother and his sire's mother
Cd The merit Of the daughters OF his
sire and grzndstre- 90 The vain.
OF the daughters Of his dam and his
grznddan- til The value Of his sis
tiers. Il he has any. and (sl the value
OF his own progeny. IL he has any.
The further back consecutiveIy good
records can be traced the more vain.
able the animal II should alvays he
remembered. however. that near an
cestors count for . good deal more
than those more remotely related
With q first class bull at the head
OF the herd. rapid Improvement d.
effected BY selecting and retaining
calves from only the best miIkers AZ
the same time culling out those cows
whose records have not been salts.
factory This work cannot be done 70
best advantage unless records are
kept OF the quantity and quality o.
milk from each COW for q whole lac
tation period
Where all Of the cows In the foun-
dation stock are grades. none OF the
calves. OF course. can be registered
II Ii desirable. therefore. to add 70
the herd from time to time. as means
permit. some good pure-bred cows os
the same blood as the bulls that have
been used This has the advantaze
Of enabling the owner to dispose OF HI.
calves TO better advantage.
The purchase Of COWS. however. "a
always attended with the danger OF
Introducing contagious diseases into
-