178 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



a so-called native. Different breeds, too, have a preva- 

 lence of a similar class of escutcheon ; thus a Jersey will 

 rather incline to the Selvage and Bicorn escutcheons ; a 

 Durham and a Dutch, to the Flanders ; while grade cows 

 will be of more variety in their escutcheon, and harder to 

 place in a class, from the mixture of two classes of escutch- 

 eon being brought together, as developed on two breeds or 

 mixed breeds. 



The rules of the system are as applicable to calves and 

 bulls as to cows; for by them can be told, after three 

 months, whether it will pay to raise the calf, or to dispose of 

 it, — if a cow calf, whether it promises either or both quan- 

 tity and quality ; if a bull calf, whether his " get " is likely to 

 prove valuable. In either sex, the young should be judged 

 b}' class and size of escutcheon, by the color and texture of 

 the skin and hair. Thus a saving is effected in not being at 

 the expense of raising a poor calf, and not being disappointed 

 in future results. From this ability to raise or purchase 

 only the best, the improvement of the herds will be very 

 great, and we shall breed only the best. 



Then there is another novel point about the system. It 

 enables the purchaser to avoid those cows which Guenon 

 called bastards : the French term may more properly be 

 translated " spurious." These cows seem to have preserved 

 their natural tendency to give enough milk only, and long 

 enough, to raise their calves : therefore they go dry more or 

 less early after they are impregnated. They are generally 

 vigorous and handsome cows, and raise large, strong calves, 

 because their milk is absorbed by their natural tendency to 

 .nourish the foetus. As they are fine-looking cows, and gener- 

 ally in good condition, they are the more apt to deceive a 

 purchaser. Guenon's system is invaluable, and should be 

 learned by every farmer to save him from making such 

 unprofitable and annoying investments. 



In certain points this system is infallible, and in others it 

 may so depend upon the judgment of the practiser as to 

 make the system appear at fault. The infallible point is, 

 that a cow having a first-class escutcheon, with soft, oleagi- 

 nous skin on it, and with short, fine hair, is invariably a first- 

 class cow in every respect. And just as much as she varies 

 from that class, just so much is the quantity and quality of 



