BREED VERSUS FEED.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 336, 23 January 1889, Page 3

BREED VERSUS FEED.

It. is a curious fact that in quoting a man in print, and especially upon some disputed agricultural subject, he is often made to say a thing was black when he had tried his best to express his opinion that it was white. This thing would be very exasperating if it were not so common. In several places lately I have seen Dr. Sturtevant and others, as well as myself quoted as stating broadly that its did not make any difference what was fed to a cow, as the milk could not be changed by the food. I hope few people have been led to believe that the persons named ever made such absurd statements. What I have said and written upon this point has been merely a repetition of the general truth, which is abundantly sustained by experimental evidence, that the breeding has more effect than the feeding upon the quality of milk, if not the quantity, which is produced by any given cow. If a cow, as the result of a long line of breeding in a particular direction, has fixed upon her and her dairy products the characteristics of her breed and family, these will not be materially changed by the way she is fed, or even neglected, so long as she remains healthy. If bred a butter cow and inheriting this trait, she will always be a butter cow. If by nature her milk is poor in butter fats, it will always be so relatively, no matter how she is fed. If by inheritance a large milker, a generous yield will be her habit, even upon scanty rations ; and if naturally a small milker, no quantity of feed will profitably increase her product. But these statements, which are certainly well substantiated, are perfectly in accord with the well known increase or decrease in milk or butter, or both, from a given cow, as the direct result of a change in her feeding or other treatment. Dr. H. P. Armsby, whom I regard as an excellent authority on this subject, has recently expressed his views admirably in these words : " The quality of milk which a cow can produce depends upon her breed and individuality, and, in this sense, the quality of the milk is more dependent upon breed than upon feed. On the other hand, the quality of milk which any given cow will produce is very largely dependent upon her feed." Other good authorities may also be quoted, I believe correctly, as follows : "The quality of milk is most dependent upon breed." "The disposition by breed will preponderate." "The quality of the milk is mainly dependent upon the breed of the cow, but not exclusively." "If by quality is meant richness of milk, it certainly depends primarily upon the breed." " The good cow will give good milk on quite poor feed ; the poor cow will give better milk on good feed than on poor, but always a small mess of comparatively inferior quality." It may be regarded as a settled fact that every cow has her limit of capacity, both as to quantity and quality, or richness of milk, Beyond this limit she cannot go, and no feeding or treatment can force her beyond it. It does not require much observation to determine what this limit is, and ascertain beyond what point food is wasted if consumed. In the well-bred animal, the limit of possible production is much farther removed from average product than in the common cow ; hence, as a rule, highly-bred cows can be fed highly with profit. While we speak of a cow be- ; ing unable to do better than her best, it is true that our cows are seldom at their best — rarely maintained at their utmost limit of production, and so it is ' generally easy, by some change or improvement in feeding and care, to get direct results and prove that food does affect product. The general statement remains true, however, that in the dairy cow breed is more potent than feed, in determining the product and the profit of the the animal. — Maj. H. E. Alvord in American Cultivator.