Shapes and Sizes op Escutcheons. 15 



discovery, I think that it may be so simplified that every farmer, dairyman, and dealer 

 can learn it all in a short time, and may find the study quite interesting. I began it 

 laboiiously, supposing that a mastery of all the details was necessary to make it of any 

 use, but more than twenty years of constant application in practice has simplified it to 

 my mind, and has added a little, I think, to the original discovery. The substance of 

 Guenon's discovery is tliat the milking qualities of any cow, of any breed, are indicated 

 by on outward sign that all may see and easily understand. The hair on a cow, as on 

 other animals, grows downward on the hind-quarters, but there is an exception to this 

 rule on the back part of the udder, where it usually grows upward. The first lesson 

 for a begmner is to notice this fact. Let him stand behind a quiet cow, and rub the 

 hair on the udder both ways until he sees or feels just what I mean. Guenon called 

 the surface that is covered by this upward growth the escutcheon ; others have called 

 it the milk-mirror; but this is no improvement in any respect, and I shall name it as 

 Guenon did, for there is no real objection to that name, and there is serious objection 

 to maldng confusion by calling the same thing by difi'orent names. The escutclieon, 

 then, is that surface on the cow's udder where the hair grows upward. But it is not 

 confined to the udder, it extends upward above the udder, often to the vulva, and out- 

 ward upon the thighs on both sides of the udder. (See Flanders cow, class first, order 

 first.) These escutcheons are difi'erent in size, in shape, and in quality, (quality 

 means the quality of the skin, and of the hair growing on it,) and these difl'erences in- 

 dicate the cfifierent milicmg qualities of the cows, including quantity and quality of 

 milk, and the length of time they will give milk after being with calf. On the edges 

 of the escutcheon where the upward and the downwardgrowthsof hair meet, a feather is 

 formed, and this is most conspicuous on the back part of the thighs where escutcheons 

 extend tha* wide. If the hair is long, as it generally is in winter time, the observer 

 can defir.e the limits of the escutcheon better by applying his hand, and smoothing the 

 hair to its natural place. He will now perceive that the hair on the escutcheon is 

 shorter and softer than elsewhere, as well as turned upward in its growth, and some- 

 times nearly resembles fiu'. 



'• Let \is now particularly consider the shapes and sizes of these escutcheons. There 

 is one general shape to which they conform, and that is that they are wider below than 

 above, and at or near the toiJ of the vidder they narrow in abruptly ; some continue up 

 as far as the vulva, and even above it, and others but a little distance above the udder, 

 The size and shape of this upper part of the escutcheon is of less importance than 

 that of the lower part, but both must be considered — the larger the escutcheon the 

 better. All great milkers have very large escutcheons. In largo ones the upturned 

 growth often begins on the belly, in front of the udder, extends along between the 

 teats and up the back part of the udder, over the whole width. Indeed, the udder 

 is not wide enough for it, and it encroaches on the thighs, where we may find the 

 hair having an upward growth on them, inside next the udder, beginning notfar above 

 the hock joints, and running up as Jiighas the wide part of the escutcheon extends 

 up the thighs, and which often terminates with corresponding curls in the hair at 

 the outlines, and the higlier up and wider these are apart the better. Though the 

 extension of the escutcheon to the front part of the udder on the belly has been men- 

 tioned, that is not a matter of jiractical interest in ordinary cases. All that needs to 

 be studied is plain to be seen by standing behind the cow. When the escutcheon is 

 small, it does not reach the thighs, and often does not cover the whole of the back 

 part of the udder. These differences in size can be distinguished at the first lesson 

 taken in the cow-yard, and when that has been done, the next thing is to consider 

 their shapes. A good escutcheon is symmetrical. The feathers on the two thiglis are 

 at equal distance from the middle line of the body, and extend up to equal heights 

 on tlio back parts of the thighs. A broad and high escutcheon, (speaking now only of 

 the lower broad part of it,) that is alike on both sides, certainly indicates a superior 

 milker. There is nearly always another sign accompanying such an escutcheon, and 

 that is one or two ovals just above the hind teats, on which a Jine coat of hair grows 

 downward. These may be large or small, maybe one or two, and maybe alii^oin 

 size, or vmlike, but tlioy are always good signs. Two are better than one, and the 

 larger and more uniform tiiey are the better ; they are almost always present on large 

 and symmetrical escutcheons. No escutcheon is ever first class if it has not one or 

 both, and one, at least, of good size. What constitutes 'good size' will be better 

 learned by a few observations tlian can be taught by inches, and I want to leave some- 

 tlfing to the ingenuity of the learner, to make the study interesting. 



" Now, let us consider the shape and size of that part of the escutcheon which I have 

 spoken of as the upper part ; that is, the narrow portion that has its base on the top of 

 the lower and wider portions, and runs up toward the vulva. Sometimes, though very 

 rarely, this does not exist at all. Sometimes it is broad, and extends all the way up, 

 with perfect symmetry. Sometimes it terminates in a curved line, at a greater or less 

 distance up ; and, indeed, it may bo seen of almost any shape. As a sign of excel- 

 lence, the larger and more symmetrical it is, the better — but a good lower part of the 

 escutcheon is the main thing, and that, as a sign, can hardly be vitiated by any imper- 

 fection of the upper part. When the lower part is very good, there is' usually uni- 

 formity in the part. A poor escutcheon is one that is small, or that is imperfect in 

 form." 



