The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-06-04

Suited This Article May Help You to
Decide and so Save You MOney-A Sample
Test.
| Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
What constitutes a good dairy or
miloh COW? Reader, how frequently
have you propOunded the above
query, either to yourself or to some
other person interested in perpetaat-
ing the most profitable race of dairy
animals? How many times have
you been asked that question by
some one seeking information on the
fundamental principle of successful
dairying? How many times have
you either received a clear cut an
swer or been able TO give one?
In selecting a piece of machinery
or farm implement, you have fixed
in your mind definite idea or model.
If the machine or implement offered
you does not conform reasonably we'll
with your mind model it is rejected
for one which does. You have
adopted the model because expert
ence has taught that for a machine
to do a definite kind of work, the
essential parts must bear certain re-
lations as to size, shape, strength
and position to each other. IF these
are not just right, an undue expen-
diture of energy is required to ao-
complish the task, and the work is
not done in satisfactory manner.
The tiller of the soil does not use the =
same plow to cultivate the growing
crop that he does to prepare the soil
to receive the seed. The work in
each case is not the same. Different
implements must be used or the work
is doomed to failure, complete or
partial.
It would be wise for the stockman
to regard his animals as so many
pieces of rather delicately constructed
machinery, each with a definite
work to perform. The work to be-
done by the dairy cow is very differ
ent from that expected of the beef
animal. 1t is true that the material
furnished the two animals in the
form of food may be very much alike
in nature and composition but the
manufactured products are 10 be
very different. .nstaD
The dairy COW is expected to man
ufacture milk and butter fat from
her food. The beef animal is TO con-
vert his ration into flesh and fat
which he stores in his own body
The dairy cow is valued according TO-
the fullness of the milk pail, cream
jar and the churn. The beef. animal
is valued according to the plumpness
of his body and the fullness of the
parts from which the choicest outs
are taken. runr"
The dairy COW is spare and angular
in form. When viewed from one,
side the top and bottom lines are
seen to gradually converge as they
approach the head, and if extended
some distance in front of the animal
they would intersect. Taking pO-
sition directly over the animal the
side lines are seen to converge also
as the head is approached and would
intersect at point some few feet in
frOnR of the COW. From a station
directly in front of the animal, the
shoulder lines are seen to come closer
together as they approach the top or
back line until they meet at only a
few inches above the back. From
behind it is seen that lines drawn
from the hip bones down the outer
surfaces of the hind quarters would
meet at point short distance un-
der the feet. It thus appears that
the dairy animal is made up of q
system of modified wedges four of
which we have already noticed while
there are several others which for
lack of space will not be considered
at this writing.
Now a glance at good beef ami
NAL. Disregard the head and neck.
Take a position at one side of the
animal. The top and bottom lines
are almost parallel. A line dropped
from the upper front of the shoulder
will strike the bottom line near the
brisket point. One let fall from the
rear top of the kind quarter to the
bottom line will rest close to the
quarter from start to finish and will
strike the bottom line few inches
to the rear of the stiple point. Thus
we have a parallelOgram. Viewed
| from ahove an0thar uaraI1elOOraTo ia