A BEEF OR A DAIRY SIGN.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1090, 31 March 1911, Page 8

A BEEF OR A DAIRY SIGN.

i' ALLEGED ERROR IN CATTLE .. /: JUDGING.. I F. S. Peer, in a treatise on "Breeds of Dairy Cattle," mentions one of the objections that is urged against a certain .bread of .cow. by- the American farmers, and that is that they are heavy hided (bad handlers) as compared with other 'lairy breeds. "Hoard's Dairyman" says ,t .would liko to lling a bombshell into the .dairy camp, by stating that the so--sat!ed soft, velvety feeling of tho skin ¥) many dairy judges believe in, is not in reality and physiologically a dairy consideration. In truth, that sort of a hide belongs to tho beef • temperament in :attle, and is almost always an evidence if fatty tissue under tho skin. '. "Another thing!' (continues the paper), 'Let any close observer study dairy caws -.hrough their milking period and he will iotico that the best cows', those that arc jiving the largest quantities of milk, lave the heaviest, ■ thickest hides. This vill be more particularly seen in summer, vhen the cows are out in tho pasture. iVhen tho cow is giving off a large quan;ity of fat and casein (protein) lay, tho skin, which is made up 'very a'rgely of protein, will show a condition if greater substance. It will not handle n the'same soft, silky manner that ocnira when tho cow is dry and fleshy, sow, if these statements are facts, what lecomcs of the notion so industriously aught, that a dairy cow's skin should landlfe soft and silky? Mr. Peer, in an nrleavotir to explain away heavy handing, says that that condition is" duo to igid climate. But a better protection d cold would lie the fatty tissue under he skin, such as we have seen steers have ,'hen they would of a choice lie. down div , snow drift becauso of an excess of arbon in their bodies. The dairy cow rill never do that. . . . The fact is hat this particular' feel of the skin is n inheritance we have taken over from he beef people. It is a meat sign pure nd simple, like some other of our notions n judging dairy' cattle. We should.base ur . knowledge of the physical sign 9' of dairy cow solely on a study of her from lie standpoint of the dairy temperament, nd that alone. Then we will be in phvsilogical harmony with tho milking miction, and not till then." At, various times reports have been reeivod from parts of the western disrict of Queensland of "ha occurrence of liseases amongst hnrses. Owing to tho .istanco it has not been possible for others of the Stock Department to make n investigation, as the animals die before hey can he reached. Reports have now •eeh received by the Department that i'ease bus broken imt among the horses ear the corner boundary of Queensland ud South Australia. The symptoms are aid to give evidence of anaemia and ■anilvsis.