180 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



of bulls of three orders each, or thirty, making in all a hun- 

 dred varieties of escutcheons to learn. But omitting the 

 orders below the third, as they are not necessary to be 

 learned, reduces them by thirty ; and as the bastards are ex- 

 actly the same, with only two varieties of bastard-marks, we 

 need learn but two, so that cuts off eight more ; then, as the 

 bulls are marked the same as the cows, we cut off thirty 

 more ; so that the hundred is reduced to only thirty-two that 

 it is necessary to be well acquainted with. 



These we simplify again, by calling your attention to the 

 fact that the thigh-escutcheons are all very much alike : 

 therefore, when you have learned one, you have learned all, 

 the only difference being the reduced size and some imper- 

 fections. It is the vertical portion that decides the class in 

 which the cow is to be ranked : therefore you will become 

 familiar with the ten vertical portions of the escutcheons. 

 With this point gained, and the judgment properly exercised 

 to tell to which order of the class you have decided the cow 

 belongs, and a proper sense of handling the skin and hair, 

 you see the system is very simple, and soon acquired. Our 

 Handbook, with its hundred illustrations, gives the number 

 of quarts each class and order give, and the time the cow 

 will milk ; and with a little practice with it in the barnyard, 

 and knowing what his cows will do, any intelligent farmer 

 will soon become aufait in the system. 



THE ESCUTCHEON. 



We have now the outline of Guenon's system ; let us ex- 

 amine more in detail into the variety of escutcheons. The 

 drawings given here represent the first order of each of the 

 ten classes, with the quantity given by each class and the 

 length of time they will milk. The quality, of course, is indi- 

 cated by each animal. One hour in the barnyard is worth 

 hours of description ; and at each lecture I endeavor to have 

 the opportunity afforded to show practically on the animals 

 the different escutcheons, and how to learn the art of han- 

 dling. 



The quantity given to each one here is to be modified by 

 the size of the animal. For instance, many large and vigor- 

 ous Durhams with a first-class Flanders escutcheon will 

 give twenty-five quarts, instead of twenty, as called for; 



