The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-06-25

the milk flow, and, of course, also,
the health of the animal. We can
not get the lungs too large and
strong, or the animal too broad
through the thoracic cavity. If you
find an animal that is narrow and
cramped in the chest do not buy that
cow; she may be troubled with
tuberculosis. In the chest endeavOr
to secure great depth. That is an
Indication of the vitality Of the ami
NAL.
We have in the COW the quadruple
wedge-shaped formations. Strictly
speaking, there are more than four
wedges, but this is the number COM
monty considered as important. One
it from the withers downward, in
creasing in width, known as the an
terror wedge. Then we have the
posterior wedge, of great width at
the pelvis and decreasing toward the
ground. Next follow the superior
and inferior body wedges, increas-
ing in width toward the posterior
portion of the body. The definition
of these wedges should be carefully
scrutinized and emphasized.
The body, or barrel, of the COW
should be very large, for the reason
that her digestive and assimilative
power is the direct measure of her
productive capacity. Hence hat
portion of the body containing the
digestive and ~secretory organs
should be tremendously large, wide
and deep to give play to their re-
respective functions. In general,
then, the outline of the dairy cow,
as viewed from the side, would be as
follows: First, the neck is narrow
and long, the shoulder point is rather
prominent, the belly deep, broad and
expansive, the TANKS somewhat con-
tracted, the hooks wide apart and
the rumps broad. In a beef animal
you will find that from the shoulder
to the rumps is almost a straight
line when viewed from the side.
A very important point is the milk
veins found along the belly of the
COW. They should be very tortuous.
They wind about on the belly and
pass into the body, through orifces
in the rear of the fore flank. Their
duty is to convey the veinous blood
to the lungs for publication. Hence
the larger the vein and the greater
its qualifications the better indica-
ton it is that the circulation of the
blood through the udder IS very
large, and naturally the larger the
circulation of blood the greater will
be the milk production, because
milk, after all, is really a product Of
the blood.
To sun up, then, the strongest in
dication of a good dairy COW, as
shown by the form, would be about
as follows: First of all look for the
. wedges. By a good dairy COW 1 do
not mean that she must be skin and
bones merely. 1 do not believe that
a COW can reach perfection for dairy
purposes and be an emaciated skele-
=, ton, and yet she should not be roll,
: ing in fat, as some of the beef types
are. l believe that a COW has a maxi
mum capacity for milk and butter
production. You can feed a COW so
? much and she will use that for her
own maintenance. Feed her more
and you will force her up to her in
: dividual capacity, but she will be
; just as good a dairy COW. A COW
: need not be skin and bone. If you
: keep her in that condition you will
: generally give her tuberculosis. ]
= would look for a wedge shaped neck,
a clear eye, and a high forehead.
4 Examine the breadth of the hooks
and rumps, examine the form and
texture of the udder, and notice
= infinitely the development of the
: milk veins. That portion of the
udder where the little white hairs
, cover it is spoken of as the milk
mirror, and when it is large and vel
developed that is an excellent indi
cation of good dairy production.
would never buy a COW without test
ing her by the scales and the Bah
" cock method for butter fat. Iwoult
= also want TO know her pedigree, who
: and what her father and mother
: we're, and two or three dams back
. Some udders are a delusion and
= snare. When the udder stands on
. after milking or is "beefy," you viii