The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-01-29

THE TYPICAL DAIRY COW.
Points to be Observed In the Selection Of
Mixers.

Points to be Observed In the Selection Of
Mixers.
That the temperament governs both
the form and function Of both animals
and man has been found to be true by
a long series of experiments. For ex-
ample. take a man with short. pndgy
fingers. He has plegmatic tempera-
mcnt and tendency to lay on tissue.
On the contrary. the average Massachu-
setts Yankee is nearly opposite. He Is
lean, sharp and skillful. and has q ner-
vous temperament. We find this to be
true in the horse bred for speed. the
dog for hunting and also the dairy COW.
The animal of nervous temperament
also has to he fed differently and assimi-
lates the food differently from ordinary
ones. This is especially true Of the
dairy cow. The average cow is not
bred intelligently, however. Most farm
ers breed blindiy. Finely bred Guern-
seys or Jerseys and Holstein-F Fries
ians show this nervous type to the high
est advantage, while the Hereford has
the phleglnatic character to a markcdde-
gree. The Hereford has been bred for
over 100 years to lay on fat and it shows
this characteristic in every line, the
heavy shoulders, the heavy chine. the
heavy offspring of the ribs and the
straight broad back. The dairy COW
has no trace of this and just so much as
you attempt to combine the two you
lose. The good dairy COW has an open
nostril, the same as q good race horse
or fox hound, also an open eye and q
large development of brain. The neck
should also be strongly and firmly
joined to the head, for, If weak there,
the COW is liable to fail easily in her
work. But at the same time the neck
is thin. while the shoulder is sloping
and thrown backward.
The formation of the spine is of par
ticular Importance. The back should
be strong and rugged, hut with large
spinal processes. This gives a large
channel for the spinal column. which
transmits the nervous force. Most peo-
pie prefer straight back. but the pei
vic arch over the hips should rise. and
many famous cows have had this de-
veloped to wonderful degree. Many
that is. to stand ont in north winds, to
drink cold water and to stand many
other strains. But strong constitution
means the power to endure to the end
what they are designed for, which in the
case of dairy cow means maternity,
and upon this depends her entire useful
ness.
The formation Of the udder indicates
the ability of the COW SO far as profit is
concerned. 1t should rise high in the
rear and extend out well in front. A
line drawn from these extreme points
shows by its length the power of the
cow. The nerves Of the mammary
gland are the most complicated in the
whole body. and are connected with all
the vital organs. In closing. would
say that with dairy cows we breed to in
crease the nervous machinery, while in
tic beef animal we breed to decrease ii.
(Remember that this does not mean the
excitable temperament.) But we must
remember that in SO breeding the nerv-
Gus temperament grows more suscepti-
BILE to disease. and particularly SO to
milk fever. Therefore. to- do we'll, dairy
COWS should be given steady care, kept
quiet and contented in warm quarters
with agreeable foods, and the farther
that idea is carried the better.-Ameri-
can Dairyman.