DIGEST OF STATE REPORTS. 421 



of the escutcheon, explaining it in detail, as he had proved it in a series 

 of careful investigations, extending over a term of years. He claims 

 for this system of marks that he can, almost without fail, read the real 

 value of a cow for the dairy, not only in regard to quality and quantity, 

 but also in respect to holding out her milk late in the season. He ana- 

 lyzed the system, and pointed out its leading features as mentioned in 

 the books, and also some features discovered by himself not laid down in 

 the books, but which would seem to be of great value in determining 

 judgment. The contrast between the extremes, one of which gave 

 sixty-four pounds per day and the other eighteen, on the best pasture, 

 was strikingly apparent. Mr. Baldwin then gave the following points 

 to be observed in the selection of dairy-cows : 



The head of an extremely good cow should be small, as the best milkers are flue- 

 boned ; it should also be long and " cut-up" under the neck, with a dishing face. The 

 neck should be thin and comparatively long. The hips shoiild be high. The hind legs 

 of the cow that is best for dairy purposes should be somewhat crooked, and it was here 

 that the breeders, in making selections, often made mistakes by preferring cattle with 

 a leg quite straight up and down behind, like the best short-horns. There should be a 

 Blight "sag" to the belly, but the animal, should be, on the whole, a little wedge- 

 shaped from back to front, the hips being higher than the shoulders, and the line from 

 the belly to brisket inclining upward. The tails of the dairy-cattle are generally of 

 pretty good length, with a considerable taper. The eyebrows of the best cattle are 

 light and somewhat flattened. 



There are four points which should be especially studied, and which serve as infalli- 

 ble indications of milking qualities in cows. First, the milk-veins, so called, passing 

 from the forward side of the udder along the under side of the animal toward the front. 

 They are either small or large, straight or veiy crooked. Consider the size of these 

 veins, for the size is one of the infallible tests of a good milker. Be careful to see 

 ■whether the vein is double or not, for it sometimes branches out, and, if double, the 

 two should be added together, because they may be equal to one large vein. The veins 

 sometimes form an angle on the front side of the udder. This seldom occurs, except 

 on a very good cow. On calves and fleshy cattle it is difficult to find these veins ; 

 therefore the test can only be applied to cows in milking condition. A net-work of 

 veins on the perineum is a good test, and indicates milk. The chine, reaching from 

 the shoulder haK-way to the hip, should be examined. If it be double, the cow is 

 above the average. Sometimes, with a single chine, there is a depression into which 

 two fingers can be laid, if the animal is not too fat. This is good. It indicates a las 

 Ijhysical condition in the animal, and this is favorable either for milk or beef. 



The fourth test, which is regarded as infallible, consists in observation of the 

 escutcheon, the milk-mirror. The escutcheon extends from the front of the bag, where 

 the hair begins to grow, backward over the bag and up and around the thighs. Cows 

 with escutcheon well marked have strong constitutions, digestion rapid and complete, 

 a restless and nervous disposition. 



Mr. Baldwin divides the rear mirror into two parts : the vertical mir- 

 ror, which extends from the bag toward the root of the tail, acd the 

 thigh mirror, which extends around the thigh outward. It is a mistake 

 to take the straight vertical mirror alone as a guide, and to say that when 

 there is a wide vertical mirror there is good milk. The thigh mirror 

 must be large and well marlied. Oval spots of large size on the back 

 of the upper part of the bag are indications of a large flow of milk. 

 The front mirror is the space between the front teat and the place where 

 the bag joins the body in front. If this space is large, the indication is 

 ot good milking qualities. 



Anotlier test, which ho pronounces infallible, is the color of the dan- 

 druff which gathers chiefly iu the upper part of the thigh mirror. If the 

 dandruff be oily and lemon-colored, there will be rich milk ; if dry and 

 brown, like the dust of the floor, poor milk may be expected. Excep- 

 tions to these tests should be made in the case of blemished cattle — 

 cows which give a largo mess and then drop off one-third within a month 

 after connection with the bull. These cows may be distinguished by 

 coarse hair growing upon the broad escutcheon behind. Cows with 



