THE FARM.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume III, Issue 291, 30 September 1881, Page 4

THE FARM.

WHAT KIND OF COWS TO RAISE. While the dairy interest is attracting wide attention, and will continue to do so m this country—because it is a source of a large export trade, as well as supplying a growing demand for cheese and butter of high quality at home—the development of deep milking cows ought to command the serious attention of dairymen and farmers generally. The question as to the best breed for the dairy has been a prolific theme of discussion, each of the prominent breeds having no lack of friends to champion their claims to superiority. While disclaiming a decided preference for any particular breed, we have .steadily advocated and advised our dairy and farmer readers to improve the cows they have by breeding the best of them—those that give the best, returns in the dairy—to pure-bred males that come of well-established milk strains or families off some of the improved breeds. Neither in the dairy or on the farm, as a rule, does tiic improvement of the milking qualities of the cow receive the attention it deserves. While the dairyman must study his interests in the selection of stock adapted to his particular line of business, or his specialty, the general farmer will find it to his advantage to raise .-stock combining in the same animal the production of both beef and milk, for it will hardly bo questioned that it is only on large farms that different breeds of cattle, for different objects, can be kept with the most profit. The cow for the farmer is one that combines the two qualities of beef and milk, and high grades may he and are produced with the Shorthorn" cross that possess these two qualities in a marked degree. The evidence is conclusive on this point, the milking quality of this renowned race is well authenticated ; tiie records arc replete with evidence of the aptness of the breed to produce deep milkers. The absence of this quality in animals of this breed is due to breeding to points other than milk ; but with judicious breeding in the direction of dairy qualities, these qualities arc, as has been demonstrated, easily restored. Professor Arnold says in his work on “ Dairying,” that “ it is doubtful whether there lias ever been any better milk stock than the original shorthorns, and they still have a most persistent tendency to transmit that quality to their descendants, and where a deep milking quality has not been counteracted, or where it has been tiic least restrained, ns in the Princess family, it has remained nearly in its original state and is transmitted with most remarkable certainty.” In breeding to obtain what is wanted, several important questions are to lie considered, and one of the first is the age at which heifers should be bred to develop the cow; it has been aptly said that the heifer is the making of the cow ; for however finely bred she may he her subsequent usefulness and value may l>o seriously impaired by neglect. Judicious treatment during calfliooil—which means plenty of suitable food and exercise—give fine muscular development, vigor, strength, and natural size, instead of a dwarfed body, and impaired constitution in consequence of want of food and care, (food treatment ensures thrifty growth without fattening, for if the tendency to fatten is developed by over-feeding, it will he at the expense of the lacteal functions.

In regard to the age at which well-grown heifers should he bred, we believe that nothing is gained by coupling with the male until they are verging on maturity, then they have reached a point when the requirements of the foetus will not interfere with their own growth, hut they should he bred as soon as they have reached this jioiii t, in order to bring into action the lacteal functions, which are more easily stimulated when young, thsn if neglected and allowed to remain quiescent until a later period. Some of the best bleeders we know breed their virgin stock at from fifteen to eighteen months from birth. And experience goes to prove that when thus bred they make more docile cows as well as better milkers than if allowed to go uuserved until 2-1 or HO months old. Resides this the earlier profit they bring is an important consideration. When such cows have survived their usefulness in the dairy or on the farm in the production of milk and butter, or cheese, they can easily be made ready for the (block, and the broad hacks, fine quality, and easy fattening habit which short-horns and their grades possess, come in to add an extra and acceptable amount to the sum total of their usefulness and profit.