HOW TO BUILD A HERD OF DAIRY COWS 35 



accurately as do depth and width of thorax and full- 

 ness of heart girth. I regard the head as the most 

 expressive character of the dairy cow, as well as the 

 chief significance in the dairy bull. The more we 

 study the best types of domestic animals and the 

 more we study the work and the products of the 

 great breeders, the more we are forced to recognise 

 the head as of chief significance in revealing the 

 inherent quality and practical value of animal 

 excellence. The head is, in a sense, a mirror re- 

 flecting all that goes to make up the animal. The 

 successful sire must have a bull's head. It must be 

 strong, masculine, full of character and vigour. It 

 must be broad between the eyes, clean cut, and 

 well defined. The eyes must stand out full and 

 prominent. 



"The head is sometimes classed among the points 

 of fancy, but it is more than this. It indicates 

 vitality, strength, breed type, and nerve force ; all 

 of which are essential to a successful sire. A sire 

 must descend from a strong line of good ancestors, 

 but he must have more than this, he must present 

 unmistakable evidence in his make-up of having^ in- 

 herited from these ancestors in a marked degree the 

 qualities and characteristics that are sought for re- 

 production. Depth and spring of ribs, indicating 

 feeding capacity, necessarily rank among the 

 characteristics of prime importance in the sire as 

 well as the dam." 



