The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-08-30
W;he Eartat+
Dairy COws-Best Breed to Select
From.
BY A. B. ARNOLD.
From tho Canada Farmer.

the current agricultural periodicals, ana
it will suffice here to say that there is
no single breed which will answer all
the requirements of every dairyman,
nor one in which the milking qualities
are so we'll established that one can, by
resorting to it, rely on getting desira-
BILE animal without being judge of
milking qualities.
The Ayreshires are more uniformly
large mixers, probably, than any other
breed, but defective specimens occur in
them, making selections necessary to
insure excellence. They are a good
resort for cheese dairymen.
The Attorneys excel as generally in
richness and color, as the Ayreshires do
in quantity, but they are not infallible,
and their yield is too small for cheese
makers They should form q part at
least Of every butter dairy.
1t would be difficult to find a larger
flow than is sometimes obtained from
the Short-horns, but as breed they are
unequal. Some strains of the Short
horn blood are remarkable for their
large flow, fully equaling the Ayreshires,
while the animals surpass the Ayre-
shires in size and hardness. There are
other strains that are inferior. The rich
milk of the Devons is also uneven and
small at best The Dutch COW, or Hol
stein, more recently introduced, promises
well both for quantity and quality, but
like all the rest needs to be carefully
selected to secure first-class mixer
No larger yield or richer milk is found
anywhere than has been obtained from
the native cows, but they, like the Shorn-
horns, are uneven. The famous Oaks
COW, one of the most extraordinary
cows of her time, having made ACT IA
pounds of butter in year. was native.
The cow Kaatskill, that made about as
much, and the Vermont cow, that made
504 pounds of butter in a year, were
natives. We have had in our own
dairy natives that have made pound
of butter from II 3-4 pounds of milk,
and on the other hand, some that have
required A pounds of milk to one Of
butter The extremes in quantity are
as great, sometimes running down to
an amount more beftting sheep than
q cow. We have, as rule, found
grades to be better mixers than either
side of the ancestors from which they
have descended Where cows are to be
raised it is the surest and cheapest way
to cross the best cows of the herd with
a good bull of the breed best suited to
the purposes of the dairy kept Crosses
between thorough-breds are also fire.
quently improvements upon the original
stock. There are certain external indi-
cations of the capacity for producing
milk which are as apparent from an
inspection of the COW as are the signs
of strength and speed in the horse, In
old dairy districts, where the owners are
in the habit of filling up their herds
annually by purchase, they soon become
so expert as seldom to be deceived.
A great deal has been said and writ
ten in regard to the appearance of good
mixers, and a multitude of irrelevant
and nonsensical signs have been laid
before the public which have tended
rather to confuse and mislead, than to
guide and enlighten the inexperienced.
A sign which has no connection with
the thing it claims to signify is always
worse than useless, as it is just as likely
to lead wrong as right, and detracts
from more intelligent indications
What important connection is there be-
tween large flow of milk and Il Ro-
man nose" or L" a hollow head" long
head or short one a crumpled horn
or straight one, or one that tapers
evenly or unevenly; or straight leg
or slim tail; or peculiarly shaped
car or dewlap; or whether the eyelids
are well divided, or much or little
wrinkled? Yet these and score of
other signs equally irrelevant are ever
and anon circulated through the press
to guide, or rather mislead, the mex
perienced purchaser.
Milk is female product, and it's pro-
duction may reasonably be expected to
be more or less affected, if the organiza-
tion varies much from the characteristics
peculiar to the sex. First of all, see
that the animal has feminine appear
ance-a cowy look. The next thing to
be looked after is the digestive appa-
ratus, particularly the stomach and
bowels A large and strong boiler is
not more essential to the power of an
engine than a large and vigorous stom-
ach is to the production of milk. \
cow cannot make milk out of nothing
If she give large flow, she must eat
and digest a large amount of food to
make it from, and she must have stom-
ach equal to the task-one that has
capacity to hold and power to digest
enough to manufacture the milk out of
it.
When the digestive organs are rela-
lively larger than the other viscera,
they give depth and breadth to the alb
domen, and somewhat wedge-shaped
form-the body tapering forward.
The large stomach and bowels here
indicated mark diathesis in which the
fluids abound, a condition, as will read
lily be understood, very essential to a
large flow of milk; and the broad hips,
and the depth and breadth of the lum-
bar region, indicate large development
and flow of blood, and vital influence
to all parts surrounding and connected
with the milk-producing vessels Gaunt
cows are small mixers. A good con-
stitution is important. This may be
judged by the lustre Of the hair and
brilliancy of the eyes and horns. Con
stitution depends mostly upon the heart
and lungs, the size of which may be
determined by the depth and breadth
of the thoraX They should have a
good development, enough to secure
health and vigor, but the lungs, in par
ticular, should not be excessively large.
When very large they burn up, by
increased respiration, the fat-forming
material. By the extraordinary energy
they create they induce unusual exercise
and motion, which make a rapid waste
of tissue and rapid assimilation to
repair it, and thus divert nutriment
from producing milk. If too small the
animal may be an excellent mixer while