Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-02-23
Buying a Cow.

When YOU 90 out to buy COW you
doubtless have definite idea of the kind
of cow you desire to purchase, says IL.
G.. Manchester in Rural New Yorker.
Almost every farmer has the pleasing
impression that his cows are better than
his neighbor's, and no matter how honest
the man may be when the cows are
bought, you are the one who has TO
prove whether or not they are profitable.
We do not care as to size; although
some of our experiment stations have
tried to prove larger cows the more
d. p.ofitable, we think it is in the COW, not
her size. One must learn to form his
opinions quickly, and size up cow
upon short notice, and the faculty to tell
\ good or poor COW by examination
comes from close observation of cows,
of type, and results that are apt to come
fiom such type. If one will study his
best COWS he will observe that they have
certain similar characteristics, no mat
ter what the breed or size of the COW
may be.
We do not like the smooth c'slick
locker" as she is often called COW, yet
she is always the easiest one to sell.
She carries a good-looking udder, is
good-sized and would make fair beef if
Knocked down at once, but, mark you,
she takes good care of herself before she
does anything for you, and good share
of her food goes to supply the clothes on
her back. We like to see the COW in
moderate 1esh, not poor or thin from
lack of food or care. We like the hips
wide apart, thin thigh, large barrel, and
the ribs wide apart; good wide space
between hip and first rib. Run your
finger along her backbone, and the
rougher it is the better. We like to see
the cow thin just back of the shoulder
So that the backbone is rather prominent
there. If she is thick there, do not buy
her. She takes too good care of herself.
We are simply in want OF a machine that
will work up the food we give her into
the more profitable product, and the
less toll she takes and the less she wastes
the better. We have taken pains to OBJ
serve in our own herd that the unprotit-
able COW nearly always was thick just
back of her shoulders. We like to see a
small neck, clean cut, a good wide dish
ing forehead, a good eye and large clear
nostrils. Deliver us from the Roman
nose COW; she's coarse everywhere else.
Good large tortuouS milk veins running
well forward; these indicate that blood
flows, and plenty of blood must reach
and return from the udder. We do not
like COW up on legs too far, as it means
that her barrel is too small to bring 1t
close to the ground; avoid the straight
underline.
The real finishing work is in the udder
and we all have our ideal in this; run
ming we'll up in front and high up in the
rear, teats of good size and well placed,
and far enough apart so that you can
milk her without continually hitting
knuckles. Fat, fleshy udders are no
good: they should milk down we'll and
be soft and flexible, and have plenty of
tissue to perform their work. We have
not said a word about breed, as that is
not what we are after; it is the type of
cow that is to make the most good mllk
for us at the least expense. Nelther
does the price of the cow cut any figure.
The price of ordinary cows ranges from
$50 to $50, but there may be more profit
in the S35 one than in the one costing
$50. When you see the COW you want,
buy her; So, $40 or $40 difference in price
is nothing compared as to whether she
will make $50 or $50 pounds of butter in
year, or give 5000 or 1000 pounds OF
milk. You will usually find it is the
large, smooth COW that commands the
best price. She is not the best COW to
buy. and you are buying, not selling:
We ought to study our cows and find
out why this one gives twice as much
milk as the one beside her under the
same conditions. There is a reason for
it, and even nature, they say, reveals
her secrets to the patient, unwearying
student, and when we find this reason
we shall know how to pick out good
cows.-Mirror and Farmer.