Samuel Dickie

Nova Scotia

The Holstein-Friesian breed is the most popular breed of dairy cattle in Nova Scotia Some of the credit - indeed, a great deal of the credit - for the distinction this breed has achieved must be credited to the influence and foresight of Samuel Dickie.

Mr. Dickie, a native of Stewiacke, moved to Onslow when he was eight years of age and there, in 1890, on his father’s farm, he was destined to found the well-known and highly regarded Cobequid Farm herd of registered Holstein-Friesian cattle.

In 1905, Mr. Dickie purchased five head of superior stock in Ontario, one of which, Locust Hill Nellie 3rd (3480) was the first cow in Nova Scotia to be placed on Record of Merit test.

Down through the years, show-ring awards without number and much distinction have come to the Cobequid herd, including the breeding of Miss La Honda (9687), one of the great cows of the breed. This cow, in 1917, held a world’s record on Record of Merit test with a production of 104 pounds of milk per day - a truly remarkable production for that day and age.

It is particularly interesting to note that the herd development program, which Mr. Dickie so ably commenced, has been carried on successfully by his sons, Walter and Arthur and now, in turn, by their sons, all of whom possess a love of good cattle which have achieved such creditable success in the show-rings of the Eastern Canada exhibition circuit.