The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-12-15
Agricultural.
Selecting Dairy Cows.

A good constitution is important. This
may be judged Of by the lustre of the hair
and the brilliancy of the horns and eyes
Constitution 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 good develop.
ment, enough to secure health and vigor,
but the lungs, in particular 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 usual exer-
else and motion, which make rapid waste
Of tissue and rapid assimilation to repair
it, aud thus divert nutriment from produ-
cling milk. If too small, the animal may be
an excellent mixer while she lives, but will
be feeble and shortlived.
The capacity of the lungs corresponds
with the size of the apertures through which
they are filled. Large, open nostrls indi-
cate large lungs and vice versa. In the
SAME way, the indications of the mouth cor
respond with the size of the stomach.
The chine is regarded as an index to milk
ing capacity. When it is double, it denotes
breadth of vertebrae, which corresponds 10
the broad open structure, which is favora-
BILE to a large flow.
1t is an accompaniment Of broad hips and
these in turn denote a large cavity which is
essential to good mixers.
The milk mirror, or escutcheon of Cue
non, is one of the leading indications OF
milking capacity. 1t consists of the pecu-
liar appearance OF the hair on the udder.
Looking at the hind part ofthe COW,
more or loss of the hair which covers the
udder and adjacent parts, will be seen TO
turn upward and outward This reversed
hair forms the so called escutc heon. If the
space occupied by the upturned hair, espe-
cially the lower part of it, is very large and
broad, so that it extends outward on to the
thighs, it is regarded as indicating large
flow of milk. If the upper part of it is
broad and smooth, it is regarded as favorable
to prolonged flow. If the reversed part of
it is narrow and irregular on its upper part
it is unfavorable to long flow. The man.
ner in which the inverted hair connects
with the hair adjacent, is supposed to have
significance. A gradual blending, rather
Than abrupt connection is preferred.
The connection of the escutcheon Tor
scutcheon) with the flow of milk. is accoun.
ted for by Magne, who says that the hair
turns in the direction in which the arteries |
ramify, and that the reversed hair on the
udder and adjacent parts indicates the ter
of the arteries which supply the |
udder with blood When these arteries are |
large, they are not confined to the nd der,
but extend down through it, and upward
and outward, ramifying on the skin beyond
the udder, giving the hair the peculiar ap-
pearance which distinguishes it from the
rest of the surface. If the arteries supply
ing the udder with blood are very small
hey are not likely to extend much beyond
.he udder, and hence form small escutch-
BON. Hence a small escutcheon indicates
feeble supply of blood to the udder, and
but little material to make
milk out of, and hence small flow of milk
Il. B. Arnolds's American Dairying.