Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1875-03-25
The Farm-Yard Club of lothian
RY DIR. GEO. B. LORING.
THE STRUCTURE OF CATTLE.

snail treat, IS interesting TO every farmer
who would recognize the importance of
anatomical conditions as fitting the ami
NAL for specific purposes, and realizes
as he should, that certain physiological
laws should be observed in feeding for
any given object. It is true the wisest
and most experienced and successful of
you know well, now, how to feed your
cattle for milk or for beef; and know,
also, how to select them for each of
these two objects. But all men are not
wise or experienced or successful and
it is for such as these, as well as for my
own qualification, that / enter upon this
discussion. .---....--. IS
Now, nature has provided that a GER
tain development of the bony structure,
and certain balance. existing between
it and the muscular organization, shall
indicate to great extent the purpose to
which an animal is best adapted, and
also the effect upon the animal economy
of various methods of feeding and Of
service. In a horse, for instance, sharp
bony processes, finely grained bones
properly balanced as to the weight of
muscle, q rather pointed skeleton indl-
Gates courage, high temper, endurance
on the road and great energy while a
frame of smoother make, with dull and
blunt processes, with a slluii without
fine lines, with cannon bones of heavy
appearance and coarse fibre, is almost
always attended with dniler faculties
and less energy. So too of cattle That
tactical system which makes good cow
is found In a frame remarkable for the
prominence of its processes, the sharp
ness Of its outline, the thinness of its
edges, the looseness of its joints and ar
tiCulati0ns, and certain h5ny keenness
so to speak WHICH every good farmer
recognizes almost by instinct; while on
the other hand the skeleton of an animal
whose tendency is to convert food into
fat is du,ler, less angular, less finely or
ganized and intended more for repOse
than motion With one frame goes the
lacteal system of a good COW, and with
the other go the fat paOducing cells
which are necessary for the rapid pro
duction of beef. To some extent the
two may be Combincd-but not in such
q way as to render any one animal capa-
BILE of reaching the highest standard in
both classes at the same time.
Asking you to bear in mind this dis
which have made, Will now
give you what | consider to be the best
points of a good cow. She should have
head of medium size, with a strong,
well marked bony structure, broad be-
tween and high above the eyes, with a
capaclOus but not clumsy muZzle, full
nostril, an eye, full mild, but not too
prominent, jowls thin and wide apart,
horns small, well curved, clear, slightly
turned upward-and with a calm and at
the same time strong and rcsOlute ex-
expression of good health
and a strong constitution 7aeeb long,
well musCled, slender, tapering towards
the head, with little loose skin hanging
below, and not dropping too much for
" ard of the shoulders ; shoulders, thin
and sharp at the top, and lying close to
the chine, somewhat prominent, strong
and loose jointe4 Il the point
(the head of the humerus), long from
the point to the elbow; tDre-qltdrters,
light and thin, with straight and slen-
der fore-leg, broad knee, and broad, fiat,
foot; c1rcaSe, deep, round
and full about the heart, and increasing
in capacity towards the hind quarters
back, straight and loosely jointed, with
sharp and ws3l opened spinOus process
es pe}giS, wide over the hips, long, level,
and supplied with strong muscles-a
long, level rump in all animals usually
indicating a strong constitution and high
xuality hind quarters, broad, strong on
the outside, and we'll cut out inside, with
a strong hook and long, tapering foot
tail, long an0 slender, strong at the roots
and set on in a line with the back; I'D
der, evenly divided into four quarters,
n Ell;oar
ity between the thighs behind-nOt hung
low, and with large, long and crooked
milk Yein-a superficial vein on the
belly indicating the character of the vas
Cular system teatS, set far apart and
of medium size and length skin, loose
and elastic, but not too thin hair, soft
silky and of lively appearance ! 9'ids,
broad, fat, thin, sharp-edged, and espe-
cially the last two widely separated. A
yellOwish color to the skin, especially
that lining the ears and about the eye, is
desirable.
These are the points which would, &C
cOlding to the best laws of physiology,
indicate a great capacity to convert food
into milk. And | have often noticed
the rapidity and skill with which an eX-
pert will examine them as he investi-
gates a cow which he proposes to pur-
chase. How rapidly ne runs his hand
along the back to ascertain the structure
of the spine and its processes how
quickly he thrusts his finger into the
cup like cavity at the point of the shout
der; how skillfully he follows and meas
ures the milk-vein from the udder to it's
passage into the great returning veins Of
the body; how adrOitly he handles the
skin; and with what rapid glance he
the general outline and express
sion, and character of the animal he is
No good anatomical point
him not because he is an anat-
omist, but because he knows from eXpe-
rience the points Of good COW, and
thus recognizes the truth taught by
scientific investigation.
Now, by way of contrast, let me read
to you a description which one of the
best writers and observers in England
gives of the animal which the English
breeder has brought to the highest per
lection for the purpose of producing
beef. The difference will appear to you
at once. He says: The animal should
have wide and deep girth about the heart
and lungs; and not only about these,
but above the whole of the ribs must
we have both depth and roundness the
hooped as well as the deep barrel is es-
sential. The breast also should be rib
bed home; there should be little space
between the ribs and the hips. This is
in the fattening OK, but
largeness and dropping of the belly is
excusable in the COW. 1t leaves room
for the udder, and, if it is accompanied
by swelling milk-yeins, it generally indi-
Gates her value in the dairy. This
and depth of barrel, howey-
er, is most advantageous in proportion
as 1t is found behind the point of the
elbow more than between the shoulders
and legs or low down between the legs
than upward toward the withers; for it
the .heaviness before, and the
bulk of the eoarser parts
of the animal, which is always a very
great consideration. s...
ssThe loins should be wide. for these
are the prime parts they should seem
to extend far along the back and
the belly should not hang
down, the TANKS should be round and
deep, the hips large, without being rag
ged, round rather than wide, and pre-