SCRUB COWS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 239, 2 July 1908, Page 3

SCRUB COWS.

A WORD IN THEiR • DEFENCE.

(To 'the ,Editor.). . . ' : ' Sir ,—I ' read with /much; interest the vigorous attack-made, by members of the tlo " a J Dairy Association upon--;the .present method < of breeding ,up a dairy licrd, adopted by-tho Government at the , eraroa '. Experiment Farm. ; 'Bv .tho unanimity: of their utterances . it would "appear to many of your. tliat t-horo was but oue sido.to this question, and that - the aristocratic pedigree ; side. Of course, it is aii .unpardonable oucnco Jiat a scrub cow at' the experiment station skou.u ■ put'up such a phenomenal , return. _ but I suppose, with "cows as-, with other kincs ot . cattle, want of pedigree is not aiways a bar to success, especially • when has to face tho test} of.performance. ... . What farmers want is tho cow aiat J, ill return most; proGt at the least cost of tnuo and food. ..-This is my ideal.-.of- a;good cow. She must bo healthy and vigorous, of medium size, give a-milk, tost of .4.,.mi1k to a weight to 451b., and be.-a : stayer ;...sbe< musu- oe able to'give'her milk -in; fn-o.minutes under, "and her milking qualities should be that a fair 'milker can milk'her-m that time. If this'kind of a'cow has'a pedigree backed up by performances of her prcdcccssors on • these lines, then pedigree is of some valuo; but,' if on tho other hand, there were no proof of all theso qualities, I would not havo a -siro for use from'v-her Jor.'palking pur-poses,^'-"even if.' her pedigree, went back to the times of William the Conqueror, and I could havo hiin for driving him to tho stockyard. I think tho,, Government should place . this ideal before them, and' endeavour to improve or produce three;breeds:— . -First, a.small breed like "Kerry Dexter, for . hilly: lands. '. , ~ , * Second, a. larger breed like Ayrsbiros, for

a better class of lands. : . Third, a little' larger breed of about the size of/the smallest shorthorn I breed, for licii, 'deep 'pastures. \ ' , t . If the. Government would accept suggestions and act upon . tliehi they would " confer a lasting- benefit upon the'country, and as a-result there would be an increasing ' demand.for tho scrub, but utility .progeny, when thoso animals ,wii<h aristocratic appendages would be neglected. , . T ; I have only briefly outlined what I consider tho best, course for the Government to: pursue' to . supply tlio dairying industry with its greatest, necessity.'. Given sires from stock of proved excellence by performances, every herd utilising tho advantages would ■be improved. As a .result of venturing such an opinion, I expect to'have theso suggestions: vigorously attacked,, but if so, I promise again to champion the" caus<S of the profitable scrub cow. by further argument and detail. l'ours, etc., ' ' J. I'ROUSE. ■ . Levin. 1 : .

. [The'' meeting alluded to by our correspondent .was a meeting of the/ Jersey ■ Breoders' Association, and was reported 111 The Dominion on-Juno/27., Tho chief objections raised; were not only tbat th© Stat© cows were scrubs, but that the Government had built up the; herd, not by breeding and selection 'from ' nondescript beginnings ' (which would liavo been instructive to dairy farmers endeavouring to do the same 111/ their own herds), but by . purchasing the besticows from other herds; and also that the breed, which, in their opinion,'was the best dairy breed—tho "Jersey—was' entirely omitted. Wo welcome Mr. Prouse's contribution to the great question of utility which .; inust • ahfoys. -oo •' paramount to every other - consideration to dairy farmer. No doubt there will be somo Jersey and other en- : thusiasts capable of taking up Mr. Prouse's challenge, and endeavouring to prove that there is more utility ill-their particular dynasty of the genus cow than- in all tn© crossbreds in the land. To all such, to a reasonable extent, and also to Mr. Trouse for his • counter-attacks, these columns will be open. . -aid.] . ; ■