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304   TRANSACTIONS OF THE NORTHERN WISCONSIN
be as good for all intents and purposes on the farm for milk
as the pure bloods. I think they are hardier and give as good
a flow of milk. If you raise beef, breed in the line for beef.
The idea of a common purpose cow, good for all purposes,
beef and milk, I think is going out of date, as much as the
horse for a race horse, carriage horse and cart horse. You
have got to breed in some line for some special purpose if
you ever succeed. I am not here to advocate any particular
breed, but with the experience I have had in my dairy I do
like to say this much on breeds of dairy stock. We have
had advocates of the different breeds in our country that
are breeding for sale. If you buy an animal you better
know what they are breeding. It is not a sufficient guar-
anty to any of you to take a male animal, whether a pure
blood Jersey, whether a pure blood Ayrshire, whether a
pure blood Holstein, to know the breed. Are the families
good milkers. I have noticed pure blooded stock brought into
the country for the purpose of speculation. Look out you
do not get deceived in them. Know what you are buying
for the purpose. They can tell just as good a tale about a
poor animal as a good one. Get as good an animal as you
can. Some of those who sell pure blooded stock get as
much as they can for them and they will take all they can
get of you. That has been my experience and observation
at least. Know what you are buying. With the low prices
as I stated before of our dairy products we have got to do
something to make our dairy pay, and the first thing is to
improve the quality of our cows. A poor cow will not pay
for good feed. A good cow well cared for ever at the pres-
ent prices of cheese, the lowest it has been for twenty-five
years, if judiciously managed will pay expenses and a little
something for the capital invested.
We had a little discussion on the horse question yester-
day. I want to express an opinion on it. It is all proper
enough to bring out the discussion. The farmers who raise
colts for sale are most of them aware that the grade Nor-
man or grade Clyde horses are about the best breed that we
can raise for the general farmer. You can find a ready mar-
ket for them. Half bloods make good horses. They find a