The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-03-31
What is a Good Cow.

What we need is a good COW that can eat
and digest good deal of food, and can then
convert it into milk, not into meat or fat
1t is by careful attention to and develop
ment of some points that the good mixer
is at last obtained. What are these points
First; health, good constitution or diges-
tive apparatus, for which we require capa,
cious belly
Second; that the largest possible develop
ment of the animal shall be behind, in the
udder and parts adjacent
A good COW is likely to be wedge shaped,
of which the head is the smaller end
Big heads, or horns, or shoulders are not
desired, because they have to be nourished
by the food. But these are indispensable;
large bag, and hind quarters to support
and minister to it. How have they been at,
tanned and how can they be further per-
fected By always breeding from the COW
having this development and from the bull
descended from such mother More and
more these projections will increase as they
descend from mother to child, until at last
the greatest possible milk producer is reached,
if indeed, it be not already. Possibly an
individual COW may have reached the limit
in this direction; but what we need now is
the certainty that every calf will grow to be
such COW. We want not that one but
that every COW shall give thirty quarts in
summer and twenty in winter, then we will
agree to stop awhile. Observe, both parents
should have health, and both should have
these pasterior developments. By using due
care, these properties will become so fixed
as to be continued with certainty to the
descendants
So little attention has been given to this
matter in this country, that our great milk
raisers say owe know nothing about breeds
we prefer the native cow" And what is
the "native cow?' AS early as 1909, it is
supposed, cattle were brought from England
into Virginia; in 1924 into New England !;
il 1926 into New York from Holland; in
1857 into the Delaware country from Sweden;
in 1851 into New Hampshire, ETC., etc. All
these, coming from various sources, have
been mingled in every possible way, and are
now known here as "natives." They have
no distinctive peculiarites which they trans
NIT but in many cases care and climate
and good food have produced from them
excellent COWS, and the cred oxen" of Con
necticut are not easily equalled. The vast
majority of our COWS are of this kind, and
are poor and from these the milk-raisers
are obliged to select. What do our milk
men look for in selecting milk giving cows ?
The first appearance, to a judge, will con-
vey an impression as to the health or consti-
tuition of the COW. He will ask, also, bony
frame, one that does not steal the fat from
the milk; he will feel the skin, to find it
flexible and covered with close, scottish hair;
he will ask for good lung room, capacious
belly, wide rump and well,developed
bag covered with soft hair. Extending from
this bag forward he will be DESTROYS to see
prominent the two great veins which lose
themselves in the belly; and on the back of
the udder he will look for many well defined
branching veins. Then comes Guenon' s
milk-mirror,' which is broad strip of
hair running up from the udder to the ulva,
which he considered the one thing ueedful
but which has not, in this country, been
found an infallible test, though it is a good
one. If, in addition, the COW is gentle, good
tempered, you are almost sure of milk
maker. Look for that kind" Tile MIX
Makers, IN April Galdry