1 1 56 Rural School Leaflet 



of the bones are nowhere prominent. This is seen particularly over the 

 upper part of the ribs immediately back of the shoulder, on the loins, 

 in the thighs, and on the shoulder. The neck is short and blends smoothly 

 into the shoulder and the whole body has a rounded appearance. 



In the dairy animal, the lack of muscular development gives rise to a 

 spare, angular appearance. The angles and joints of the bones are 

 prominent, particularly in the pelvis and the spinous processes. This 

 does not mean that the animal is poor or emaciated, for there may be 

 abundant fat, as indicated by a soft, pliable skin, and by rolls of fat in 

 the fold of the skin in the flanks, and still the animal may present this 

 spare appearance. 



In the dairy type, the udder is, of course, much larger and fuller than 

 in the beef type, and the so-called " milk veins " stand out prominently 

 on the abdomen, extending well forward to the chest. In the beef type, 

 not only is the udder small and comparatively insignificant, but the 

 exterior veins leading from it are small and more or less embedded in 

 the surrounding muscular and fatty tissue. 



IV. THE COLORS OF COWS 



E. vS. Savage 



Pure-bred cows constitute only about 1.5 per cent of the cows raised 

 in New York State. This number should be increased, for it costs no 

 more to keep pure-bred animals than grade animals; and the profit from 

 pure-bred animals is likely to be larger than that from grades. Further- 

 more, it is a great satisfaction to own a fine herd of pure-bred cows. 

 Let us teach boys and girls to recognize the four leading dairy breeds of 

 cattle and the four leading beef breeds. The lessons will give some 

 interesting study in color and in markings, and the young persons will 

 make a beginning on observation of cattle in the neighborhood. 



The four great dairy breeds in New York State, in order of numbers 

 of cows, are the Holstein-Friesian, called simply Holstcin, the Jersey, the 

 Guernsey, and the Ayrshire. The color of the pure-bred animals in each 

 of these breeds is always the same within rather narrow limits. A pure- 

 bred Jersey would never be mistaken for a Holstein or an Ayrshire, and 

 very rarely indeed would she be mistaken for a Guernsey by any one with 

 any real knowledge of the breeds. 



This color characteristic is the one, perhaps, which is most surely 

 transmitted from father and mother to offspring among pure-bred animals. 

 Among grade animals, the color, in most cases, will be that of the breed 

 of which the grade animal carries the most blood. 



We may first discuss the color of each of the separate dairy breeds, 

 and then of the leading beef breeds. One way to become familiar with 



