Examinations Before Societies. 19 



of juclgicg, which the possessor was not willing to reveal. On the other 

 hand, it seemed difficult to admit that the external sign, whatever it might 

 be, by which Mr. Guenon judges, could always bear a proportional relation 

 to the quantity of milk yielded by a cow. Nevertheless, the academy 

 deemed it proper to appoint a committee charged with making the examina- 

 tion. Trials have been made with care, and under precautions necessary for 

 precluding all collusion. The cows used for the purpose belonged to three 

 different herds, and amounted to thirty in number, and the result has been 

 to establish, to the satisfaction of the committee, that Mr. Guenon really 

 possesses great sagacity in this line. So long, however, as his method shall 

 be kept secret, it cannot be judged of, nor rewarded by, the academy. Gov- 

 erned by these considerations, the academy, having ascertained from Mr. 

 Guenon that he is willing to submit to every test that may be proposed, and 

 to disclose his secret, upon receiving a just indemnity, has referred him to 

 the prefect, and has engaged to recommend him to the favorable notice of 

 that magistrate, who is ever disposed to promote all that tends to improve it. " 

 From 1822 to 1827, it would seem that Guenon perfected and studied 

 his system, but it does not seem to have come promptly before the public, 

 until the agricultural society of Bordeaux took upon itself a careful in- 

 vestigation of the whole system. From the detailed report of this com- 

 mittee, appointed by this society to test the knowledge of Guenon, we take 

 the following as illustrating, not only the results reached by them, but also 

 the manner of conducting the examination : 



" Every cow subjected to examination was separated from the rest. What Mr. Gue- 

 non had to say in regard to her was taken down in writing by one of the committee; 

 and immediately after, the proprietor, who had kept at a distance, was interrogated, 

 and such questions put to him as would tend to confirm or disprove the judgment 

 pronounced by Mr. Guenon. In this way we have examined, in a most careful man- 

 ner — note being taken of every fact and every observation made by any one present 

 — upward of sixty cows and heifers, and we are bound to declare that every statement 

 made by Mr. Guenon, with respect to each of them, whether it regarded the quantity 

 of milk, or the time during which the cow contmued to give milk after being got with 

 calf, or finally, the quality of the milk as being more or less creamy or serous, Avere 

 confirmed, and its accuracy established. The only discrepancies which occurred, were 

 some slight differences in regard to the quantity of milk, but these we afterward 

 fully satisfied ourselves were caused entirely by the food of the animal being more or 

 less abundant. 



" The result of this first test seems conclusive, but they acquire new force from tliose 

 of a second trial in which the method was subjected to another test through M. Guenon 

 and his brother. Your committee, availing themselves of the presence of the latter, 

 caused the same cows to be examined hj the two brothers, but separately, so that after 

 a cow had been inspected, and her qualities as indicated by the signs in question had 

 been pronounced upon by one of the brothers, he was made to withdraw ; then the 

 other brother, who had been kept aloof, was called up, and desired to state the quali- 

 ties of the same animal. This mode of proceeding could not fail to give rise to differ- 

 ence, to contradiction even, between the judgments of the two brothers, unless their 

 method was a positive and sure one. Well, gentlemen, we must say it, this last test 

 was absolutely decisive. Not only did the judgment of the two brothers accord per- 

 fectly together, but they were in i^erfect accordance also with all that was said by the 

 proprietors in regard to the qualities, good or bad, of every animal subject to tliis ex- 

 amination.'' 



On the 26th of May, 1837, a similar test was made by the agricultural 

 society of Aurillac, whose committee, in their report, use the following lan- 

 guage : 



"Each cow was examined separately by M. Guenon, who wrote his notes upon her, 

 and delivered the paper closed to one of us. Immediately after, another member of 

 the committee questioned the owner of the cow, or the person in charge of her, in re- 

 gard to her daily yield of milk, its qualitj', and the time during which she continued 

 to give milk after being got with calf. The answers were taken down in writing, and 

 then compared with the notes written by M. Guenon. They were generally found to 

 accord, and proved to the satisfaction of your committee and of every one present, all 

 of whom attended with lively interest to these proceedings, that M. Guenon possesses 

 great sagacity in judging of cattle, and that his method rests upon a sure foundation." 



