The Portland daily press., 1865-12-15
Guenon's Milk Mirrors.


Guenon was, and, for aught know, still is,
Frenchman. He was born poor, near Bor-
deaux, had, early, the care of cows, and spent
his whole life with them. On the 4th of July
1887, the Agricultural Society of Bordeaux
awarded him gold medal for the discovery
which he made, by which any careful observer
might know the milking qualities of a cow
This consisted of certain hairy marks on the
posterior part of the bag, or udder, on the
space above it, called the perineum and the
thighs adjacent to the sides of the udder-i
These marks or spots of hair rise up from the
udder in an upward direction, whilst all the
other hair of the animal grows downward
They are sometimes marked by line of brist-
ly hair which surrounds them, forming ridge
or sort Of ruffie where the upward and down.
ward growing hair meet. To these spots or
tufts he gave the name of milk mirrors be-
cause they reflected the milking capacity of
the udder. Farmers both in France and in
this country, had before the time of Guenon,
noticed connection between the size of these
upgrowing tufts and the dairy qualities of the
cow, but it was that Frenchman who first re-
duced them to reliable system, and explain
ed the value of particular forms and sizes of
the milk-mirrors. He carried the thing per-
haps too far when he professed to foretell by
these mirrors just how much a COW would
give, how long she would hold out, and what
would be the quality of her milk; but that his
system generally is true, is now conceded by
all agricultural authorities and by every observ-
ing farmer. After him, another French dai-
ry-man, M. Magne, simplified the system of
Guenon and freed it from the complex details
by which Guenon had encountered it. He
took into the account other facts which, in
many cases, might and must qualify the tests
of the k-mirror-such as the size of the
milky glands and the activity of the blood-ves-
sells upon the udder and perineum-the food,
treatment, temperature, accidental diseases,
the climate, the season and many other causes
that might prevent a good COW well marked
from giving milk in quantity or quality as in
dicated by the sole and only test of milk mir
ror. Then, again, it should be noticed, that
different breeds incline, some more to flesh,
pected that Hereford COW with large mir
ror would give as much milk as an Ayrshire
whose mirror was perhaps smaller. Hereford
or Devon, as race never give so much milk
as most Ayrshires and some Durham short
horns or native cows. The Jerseys are cele-
brated for the richness of their milk, but sell
dom give great quantity; and ye. we shall
frequently find large milk mirrors, and large
milky glands and veins which mark them as
generous contributors to the pail. All these
things are to be taken into the account in es-
timating the reliability of Guenon's method,
which, as have said, generally is true. He
himsen admitted some drawbacks upon his
system. For instance, the milk-mirror might
appear very small, and therefore the animal be
condemned, when it was really large, but ow-
ing to the folds of the udder might be much
concealed. Those folds should be drawn out
or extended in order to judge Alright of the
size of the mirror. And then, again, though
there might be quite number Of upturned
tufts from the bag to the rump, yet If there be
also several spots on which the hair has
downward direction, as will sometimes be the
case, then subtract so much from the general
indications, and perhaps force decision against
the milking qualities of the animal He af
firms, too, that if there are upgrowing tufts
upon the rump opposite the ulva, they are
certain proof that the cow will 60 dry long
before calving; but if there are downward
tufts, in oval form upon the back Of the I'D
1a. @l,otc IL. IL
long, in giving milk. In the best Of cows these
ovals will be found. .-,r- >sss ai, A2
& Sometimes these milk-milrors are clearly
defined and readily seen by the eye; in other
cases, owing to the thinness of the hair, or
the same color of the skin, they are hardly
perceptible. To test them, in this case, press
the back of the hand against the upper part of
the perineum and draw it downward with the
fingers distended. The finger nails as the
hand moves, will catch and detect the up
growing tufts. This process will also cause
the veins to swell, which will show whether
they are large and active, as in good mixers,
or small and sluggish as in poor ones.
No doubt there is much of truth in these
AHOy olO AdiSO VII Oil SlCat
mixers, and small on poor ones, other things
being equal But there are other points of a
good COW to be taken into consideration,
which, if they, or the most Of them, are found
on cow of large milk-mirror, unqualified by
contravening tufts, purchaser may be sure
of obtaining the object Of his search. The
points not to be overlooked any where, are "a
large, fair, but not feshy udder, one that
shrinks much on being milked, covered with
soft skin and fine hair; small. head, thin neck,
mild eye, small yellow horns not large at the
base, high hip bones, pot belly, thin launches,
yielding skin, loose upon the rump, full chest,
good constitution, regular appetite with great
propensity to drink. If cow or heifer has
most of these marks, with a large milk-mirror,
you may be quite certain she is worth laising
or nurchasinp TRAxI