The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-05-04

stall. feed box and water trough, and
have them tested with tuberculin every
6 months to see if it develops in others
till it is thoroughly stamped out.
THE UDDER OF THE COW.
This is the subject of Bulletin 81, OF
Indiana s alton, which contains several
Photographic illustrations OF perfect
and detective udders.
While it is true that the scales and
the Babcock machine form the only
perfectly reliable tests, still, the udder
is a mostimportant factor and is worthy
Of study. The examination of Ice
dairy COWS will show but few udders OF
ideal type. No such irregularity OF
form is presented by any other part oi
the animal anatomy, whether Of COW,
horse sheep, or swine.
What relationship has the shape OF
the udder TO its producing capacity
Does any body knows
the process of milk secretion is net
entirely understood; but we know that
the food makes blood, and the milk
glands, IN some way, secrete milk from
the blood, just as the liver secretes
bile, the kidneys urine, the salivary
glands saliva, etc.
Disscc5iDg an udder, we find that it
is spopgy and pinkish white, full OF
holes and calans, and when cut more
or less milk escapes. Above each Ueat
is a cavity known as the milk cistern.
a small circular muscle near the lower
end of each teat keeps the outlet closed
to prevent the escape Of milk except
during the milking process.
The nervous system of the cow is in
timately associated with milk produc
ton. Heavy mixers r of a decidedly
more nervous temperament than beef
ers. A nefve starts from the spinal
cord IN the Ioins and divides between
the hips into three branches-one dis
tributed IN many small branches over
the belly, and the others owe the two
sides of the udder. Those which sup
ply the udder are each first subdivided
into three main branches, one of which
goes to the teat, one to the milk cistern
over the teat, and one to the sponge
like glands. The process of milking
excites these nerves to action and
cause the glands to secrete the milk,
and the milk fat is produced by the
breaking down and shedding of the
cells of the glands themselves-just as
food (and even the sight of food) ex-
cites the nerves of the salivary glands
and causes the mouth to water.
The activery Of the nerves Is the mo-
tive force of the blood vessels. The
greater the capacity of the arteries and
veins connected with the udder, the
larger the milk secretion, for the milk
comes from the blood. Hence, the i'm
p~ortance Of securing COWS with large,
crooked milk veins. These veins
contain blood, however, not milk.
These veins or arteries come
from the inside of the COW, through
holes made for them between the udder
and the forelegs, and these holes should
be of good size to permit an easy, IN
cbstructed flow OF blood.
An ideal udder in shape, extends
well up behind, between the thighs,
and also well along the belly towards
the forelegs. If a hoop OF about the
same diameter as the udder be cut into
two equal halves, the udder should
nearly fit into one-half of the hoop
turned with the curve down, but it
should be necessary to stretch the ends
farther apart.
But quite as important as the shape
and s.za of the udder is its texture. 1t
should not be q feshy udder, but should
hang loose as a rag efter milking. Be
ware of the cow which comes from the
milking with a plump udder.
The most common fault in shape of
the udder is deficient development in
front. a test Of IS COWS at the Indiana
Station showed that the two real teats
give an average Of Is per cent. more
milk than the front ones. Selecting 13
Of those whose udders were ~noticeably
light in front, a test showed that the
real teats gave 81 per cent, more than
the front ones. Testing nine COWS with
we'll balanced udders, it was found that
the difference was less than 8 onnces
per day.
The practical bearing Of these tests
is, that they show that the average
COW has ar udder defective in front,
and by selection and breeding we may
fix the perfect udC er as a characteristic
and thus make a material gain in milk
capacity. This will be q much more