686 BOARD OF AGRICULTDRE. 



The laboratory or practical work in judging in those college days 

 commended itself to John in" no uncertain manner. There was a large 

 room in one corner of the cattle barn. Tanbark covered the floor. 

 Here the instructor brought his class of young men. A cow was brought 

 in. The students were instructed in the various points which go to make 

 up the animal form, and their relative importance to each other. They 

 were told what the ideal, mature cow of this kind should resemble. 

 Then they were requested to take blank score cards and judge and score 

 the cow before them, and see how she would compare with the ideal 

 described. That was not easy the first day, but more practice smoothed 

 the way. Finally several cows were brought into the room and were 

 I'anged up side by side, and the class was directed to judge and place 

 them in their relative order of merit. That is just what the judge 

 did at the county fair, only he was obliged to give a written explanation 

 on a specially prepared sheet of paper, as to why he placed those cows 

 in the positions he did. Then finally the instructor placed them as he 

 thought they should be, which was followed by a discussion of the plac- 

 ings of both students and teacher. That sort of thing was interesting, 

 and Joiin saw a connecting link" here between this college work and the 

 home herd. 



There was a most important phase to this study of stock. As the 

 lessons continued, it was pointed gnt that there were different types of 

 cattle that had gradually developed into high degrees of perfection, each 

 in its class. This was beautifully illustrated on one occasion when this 

 subject was first discussed. Three cows were led into the room, each 

 quite distinct in type. One was spare of flesh, in fact her ribs showed 

 somewhat, but she had a big body, rather short, clean cut handsome legs, 

 a thin fairly long neck and a gracefully turned rather short head. Back 

 between her thin, muscular thighs below a broad, level rump, was sus- 

 pended an immense udder, shaped like a half moon, while extending along 

 the belly away from the udder were two big milk veins, twisted like a 

 snake, remarkable in their development. The instructor told the class 

 that such an udder should extend well forward along under the belly and 

 up high behind the thighs, be, level below and thick, with four medium 

 sized teats at each corner of the udder, and when milked out it should 

 shrink up and feel mellow and pliable in the hand. This was a cow of 

 the true dairy type, just a grade, but she Avas I'arely beautiful John 

 thought. And when she was milked out before the class, all that' strik- 

 ing fullness disappeared and a shiiveled. wrinkled udder one-half the 

 original size was in its place. He had never seen such a cow as that at 

 Rockdale. Alongside of her stood a broad backed, deep bodied cow, full 

 and thick in bosom and hind quarter, short of leg and strong of neck. 

 She was smooth and rather fleshy, and her udder was not Important, 

 but she would cut some great steaks. Then he was taught that this 

 was. a cow of ihc br'(>r type, given t<^ <'nnvfrtiiig food into iiu'.nt .ts the 



