The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1878-02-23
A Good Dairy Cow,

At the meeting of the dairymen in
Cleveland Mr.. Cornelius Baldwin, of
Nelson, Ohio, read an address, which
contained the following:
There are points, forty-fve or fifty in
number, which constitute a thorough
bred cow, whatever the breed We di-
vide these points into two classes. Par:
of them are infallible indicators. Part
are more feeting. Dairy cows always
have dishing faces. Those which excel
are wedge-shaped. TIL. milk mirror is
always infallible. Then why bring in
f1eeting points? Because the animal
must carry all points if we wish to breed
from her, but if we only use her for
milk then we need only the infallible
points. One cow which possessed gave
ninety pounds of milk per day, another
fifty-eight pounds. The head should be
short and small, and always -boned,
rather long from the eye down, lips thick
and strong. Thick, strong ribs. In milk
ing cows only the nose should be some
what concaye, rather than Roman. A
dishing face is hollow between the eyes.
The eye should be large showing consid-
cradle of the whites Horns should have
an upward and decentralization should
not be too deeply corrugated or cut;
should have waxy appearance, and the
annual rings should be indistinct. There
should be no loose skin at the iuncture
of neck and head; no dewlaps; short
heads, necks, bodies and heads, the latter
being the most important indication;
shoulders comparatively light, good
breadth at the bottom and lower than
the hips. She should be low-sided. Hips
should be high, making the cow wedge
shaped. Light TANKS for milk, but not
for beef. The udder may be swinging,
but must have length and breadth; hind
legs should be very crooked, tail long,
large at base and small at brush. But
many of these points are fleeting. The
dishing face is infallible; the brisket
should be well down and forward and
very thin. The most important points
are the milk mirror, Tactical veins, the
chine, the veins in udder and perineum.
The chine is an old sign, it is single and
double; the latter consisting of a cancel
lous growth of soft bone. If cow pos
sesses double chine, she is sure to be
good COW. She may be equally good
with single chine, but then she has
cups or notches behind the shoulder.
The tactical veins are ducts that carry
away the blood, not the milk. There
are three varieties of milk veins, viz.
single veins, double veins, and triple
veins, also an extension vein which in an
important mark making a good COW.
The more viens and the more crooked
they are the higher is the Indication.
The escutcheon was discovered by a
Frenchman in 1881 or 1882. All au-
thorities give it more or less weight. l
believe it to be strictly reliable. 1t is
that portion of the rear part of the ami
NAL covered with hair growing reversely.
Judging by it is largely guess work an
less one has long experience. There are
eight different varieties of milk mirrors.
The highest type extends up to the base
of the tail and covers all the back part
of the thighs, as well as the fore part of
the udder. In proportion as your mirror
is broad your cows will be good. By it
we can tell how well cow will hold out
her milk as maturity approaches, and
also of its quality.