THE BREEDS FOR BEEF AND MILK.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 174, 19 June 1873, Page 2

THE BREEDS FOR BEEF AND MILK.

In the eastern and middle States cattle are raised for both milk and beef, but more for milk than beef. In the greater portion of the western and south-western States they arc raised more generally for beef, though milk is to some extent a consideration. Throughout the Wost are found, among nil the [large herds, Shorthorn bulls and the Texas cows hnve been bred to Shorthorn bulls, te such an- extent that some of the large herds show a considerable amount of blood. As there is no dairying in these largo herds, milk is of no consequence, provided each cow supplies, enough to raise her calf. As the Texas cattle found on the western prairies and plains are aHivr, and possess not groat inclination to take on flesh, and as beef is what is sought, the cross with the Shorthorn must produce cattle admirably adapted to the plains and prairies. But how is it with the dairying interests of the middle and eastern States ? The breeders of Shorthorns, Devons, and Hereford s, who have attained distinction, have bred for boef only ; they have so bred out the milk-producing capacities of their stock that their cows have hardly supplied sullicient milk, to rear their calves, and from these breeders are procured the bulls u»ed to a large extent ' to improve the stock of these States. The choicest animals from the herds of these breeders take all the premiums at the State and country fairs, and farmers conclude that they must buy from them the animals that are to improve their stock. If they were mere beef-makers, this would be all right. A genuine beef-makor keeps no cattle until they are five years old, except a few which arc regarded as superior. The steers are marketed at two, three, or four years old. The heifere, while they produce a calf each jcar, and themselves increase in size, are profitable ; but as soon as they hnve got their growth, the only increase they produce is a calf each year, and this is not of sufficient value to pay the expenso of I a year's keep, and they must be made into boef. A dairyman or milk-maker keeps all good milking cows until they are nearly worn out— until they are ten or twelve years old : or upwards. For his purposes the milk-producing capacities j should be cultivated to tho highest point, and they should be bred from tho best milking stock. High-bred cows of the beef-miHig families do not, at their best,, produce more than ten or twelve quarts of milk per day, while the best milkers produce more than thirty quarts. From tho milk of tho best specimens of cows of tho beefing families, not a halfdozen pounds of butter can be produced in a week, while twenty pounds can be produced from the best milkers in some of tho best weeks. It must seem clear that the beefmaking breeds and the beef-making families of the breeds, in which are found both beH'ers and milkers of good quahtv, arc not adapted to the middle and eastern States. When "it is considered that bulls from these bieedi have been extensively used among cattle kept for milk rather than beef, it is not too much to say that the high-bred herds of beefing cattle in tho mi-Idle and eastern States have been nuisance . Mixing Hipm? herds with the common entile of tho country has paob.ibly reduced the milk of the average of cows from one-fourth to one-half. An ordinary cow, instead of producing mx pounds of butter a week, should produce from nine to tweho pounds Cattle adapted to the dairy portion of the country will not be produced until dam men shall raise their own coivs nnd tho practice shall be adopted of using no bull-* eveept those whose female ancestry have been first-r.Ue milkoiN, and no heifer shall be raised except from tl c iiiws which have proved themselves to be superior nulker-i, pn 1 tie heifers raised shall bo so fed and treatod as to cultivate mid improve the milk-producing otgan*. Under tins practice there can lie as litt'e dillieult^ in increasing regularly the milk produced a3 lias been found 'in increasing the' weight of the bhuep'ri (leecc, or the <-peed of the trotting hoi te The b cods adapted to t 1 c bto - naking regions of tho Wot and .South-west are found in the Galloways, the Ilerefov.ls, the De\on«, and tho beefing Du.hiiin*. " The breed adapted to the d.iiry region* of the middle and enstnrn States may perh.ips be foiiirl in tio Ajrshne, the Aldcrnej, or the lluidoin, bi.t more probably is jet lo bo produced oV perfected by the Diatcico iibovo suggested — " An Ohskkvkk," m American Country Oenllcnuiii.