350 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



by the various breed associations, must be followed. In that process of 

 up-grading, however, which consists in the improvement of the com- 

 mon stocks, and which must be employed by the great majority of dairy- 

 men and farmers, the detail of breed standards is unnecessary. In this 

 work of up-grading the breeder requires a practical and, at the same 

 time, simple standard. Hence we submit the following points as being 

 the more important essentials of a good dairy cow, viz.: 



1. Much length or depth in the barrel or coupling indicating a large 

 consumption and utilization of food. 



2. Refinement of form as indicated more particularly in the head, 

 neck and withers, incurving thighs and fine, well formed limbs. 



3. Good development of udder and milk veins. 



4. Constitution as indicated by a capacious chest, much width 

 through the heart, a broad loin, a full, clear eye. and an active carriage. 



5. Downward and yet outward sprung and open spaced ribs covered 

 with a soft, pliable, elastic skin. 



It is necessary that the cow should have a large digestive apparatus. 

 In order to be a large producer, she must be developed for the con- 

 sumption, digestion and assimilation of large quantities of food. Look 

 first for depth through the center, from the middle of the back to the 

 navel, with large, deep, wide spread ribs, indicating width of body even 

 bordering on paunchiness. In general,- females with small, cylindrical 

 couplings, are not large milk producers. Moderate length of coupling 

 is desired and though a straight back in the dairy cow is preferable, 

 these are the exception in the heavy producers. 



Having examined the cow as regards her ability to consume a large 

 quantity of food, we next want to know what use is to be made of the 

 food, whether converted into meat or milk, and we proceed to search for 

 the indications of refinement of form shown in the clean cut head, devoid 

 of fleshiness, with broad dished forehead, large mouth, muzzle and 

 nostrils and a large prominent, active intelligent, but not nervous, eye. 

 The neck should not be heavy but rather long and slim, the withers 

 sharp and the thighs incurving, rather than straight or full. 



Having estimated the ability of the cow to consume food and utilize 

 the same for maintenance and milk production, the next essential fea- 

 ture to know about is the udder. This should be large and well-formed, 

 of good quality and with teats of convenient size and well placed. The 

 milk veins are most desirable when large and tortuous, passing through 

 the abdominal wall through large openings. 



Too much attention can not be given to the question of strength of 

 constitution in the dairy cow, as shown in the deep chest with increas- 

 ing width downward, providing ample room for vigorous heart and lung 

 action, and in the indications that these functions are properly performed 

 as shown in the condition of skin and hair. . 



The selection of females from among dairy heifers is a somewhat diffi- 

 cult task, particularly among calves and j^earling heifers, and in fact 

 there is danger of misjudging the young cow even during the first period 

 of lactation. In this kind of selection much stress must be attached to 

 good ancestry, even though the offspring of good cows are not all in- 

 variably good. This last statement may be questioned by those who 

 may have observed that record making cows do not always produce 



