How TO Apply the System. 23 



then the winter coat of hair is off, and the hair is shorter, and the escut- 

 cheon is more easily perceived. The skin, also, is more natural and soft, 

 and the hair is usually not so harsh to the feel ; and the cows are cleaner, 

 and all marks or blemishes more quickly seen. 



How to Apply tlie System Practically. 



We will now proceed to apply the foregoing rules and hints practically. 

 In doing so, we may repeat some that has been before said, but it will only 

 impress it the stronger in the mind of the learner. 



This classification embraced all the kinds of cows known to Guenon, 

 each individual escutcheon corresponding with one of the orders of those 

 classes. The class, the order and the size of an animal indicate her yield 

 of milk, and this will always be found to correspond with her escutcheon. 

 Every cow has an escutcheon which can be recognized, and according as 

 it is free from blemish or imperfection, just in that degree does she ap- 

 proach perfection in her class, 



Guenon, in the last edition of his work, has altered and simplified his 

 classification somewhat, for he divided it into ten classes, and six orders 

 to each class. He maintained his three grades of size. But our experience 

 shows that the cows in this country do not vary so much in size as they 

 probably do in France, for there they have the little Brittany cow, which 

 is very small but good, and, of course, they have also cows as large as our 

 Durhams or the Holsteins. Only this, bear in mind, that cows, as a gen- 

 eral rule, all other things being equal, will vary in their yield somewhat 

 according to their size ; and in judging cows apply that rule, for it is part 

 of Guenon's system, and they will vary in the quality according to the 

 breed. Well, then, for practical purposes, we need only study sixty es- 

 cutcheons, that is ten different shapes called Classes, and six grades to 

 each of those shapes, more or less perfect, which are called Orders. To 

 these must be added ten more for a Bastard to each class. And it is 

 really necessary to study perfectly only the first four orders of each class 

 and the Bastard marks, as it is not worth while to purchase or pay much 

 attention to any cows lower in the scale than the fourth order of any class. 

 And to simplify it still more, you will notice the thigh escutcheons of the 

 first orders have all nearly the same shovel shape, so that by remembering 

 this you need only study the vertical portions to readily place the animals 

 in their proper class. 



The Escutcheon. 

 The escutcheon was so-called, we presume, from its similarity to the 

 shape of a shield or escutcheon, and on a first-class cow it will be very 

 like it, and some-what like a round-pointed shovel. On this escutcheon, 

 the hair will generally be of a different color from that bordering it, most 

 generally rather darker, always shorter, and more nearly resembling fur. 

 This difference in color is produced by the up-growing hair contrasting 

 with the DOWN-growing surrounding it. The hair of the escutcheon should 



