DAIRYING 91 



it, it is no trouble, and besides being a check 

 upon them, any cow out of condition is 

 quickly noted. In selecting a dairy cow 

 there are certain external signs which should 

 always be remarked. First, she should have 

 rather fine, slender shoulders, but with a 

 chest sufficiently wide and deep to ensure 

 strength of constitution. A typical dairy 

 cow should (i) be wedge-shaped, having 

 great breadth across the hips, and tapering 

 forward. (2) The skin should be soft and 

 elastic, covered with, soft silk hair. (3) Her 

 udder should be large but not fleshy, well 

 set forward under the body and back behind, 

 large teats placed well apart and all perfect. 

 (4) Prominent milk vein. More importance 

 should be attached to the shape and texture 

 of the udder and the set of the teats than 

 to the relative size. (5) The escutcheon. 

 This consists of the hair on the udder, which 

 turns up and out instead of down. If the 

 escutcheon is wide on the thighs, high and 

 broad, it is taken to indicate a good milker. 



