36 GuENON ON Milch Cows. 



Mr. Reeder also quotes the weights of cattle given by Guenon, and tri- 

 umphantly exclaims, whoever saw such small cows in this country ? Gue- 

 non distinctly quotes the weights, as net dead weight, or the animal de- 

 prived of its head and horns, its hide, entrails, and feet, and gives the ex- 

 cellent reason for it, when he says : " If I had made the calculations for 

 the animal on the hoof, the figures given by me would present a great dif- 

 ference, which would increase according to the amount of fat, sometimes 

 to double the weight." Unfortunately, Mr. Reeder did not know enough 

 of Guenon's facts to be aware of this clear statement, and supposed the 

 weights were live weight. 



Again, he says the commission did not examine the stock correctly. 

 He would have looked at an animal, decided what escutcheon it had, or 

 " to which class and order she belongs, and then append the figures of 

 Guenon as the result. Any other mode of proceeding is not testing the 

 Guenon system." Here again his lack of knowledge of the system is 

 shown ; it would be exceedingly unjust to the reputation of Guenon, as he 

 distinctly declares the size, the age, the breed, the treatment, the season, 

 the period of gestation, &c., shall be fully considered. It is the judgment 

 of just such men passed upon the system, which have tended to throw any 

 doubt upon the merit of Guenon's assertions. What would be thought of 

 the judgment of such a person, if told by a physician to administer three 

 things to a patient, and he gave but one, and the patient died, and he ex- 

 cused himself by saying, " you told me to give him medicine, and I gave it." 



Then Mr. Reeder denies the value of the system for pointing out the 

 best feeders. The cow which gives the most butter, and which this sys- 

 tem will readily point out, will fatten the most rapidly when dried ofl" ; for 

 the butyraceous particles, which go to make the butter, will be diverted 

 from the milk and turn to fat on the animal. 



Mr. Reeder objects to the report of the commission, that they "in some 

 cases failed to classify cows," and "made incorrect classifications," and 

 "in some cases gave different results from Guenon," and lastly "the terms 

 employed to denote quantity, quality, and duration, are too vague, indefi- 

 nite, and unsatisfactory." In all these objections, Mr. R., it will be readily 

 seen by any practicer of the sj^stem, shows his utter ignorance of the mode 

 of applying it. 



Guenon says it is sometimes impossible to properly classify an animal, 

 owing to the effects of a cross, or some freak of nature. In such cases 

 they may be judged according to the escutcheon it the nearest resembles. 

 This the commission did, but of course could not classify them. 



His judgment as to "incorrect classificat'ons" we must pass by as of no 

 account, bo not being any more capable of that than the commission. 



The same may be said of "giving different results from Guenon." That 

 is entirely a matter of judgment. Guenon saj's, judge of the cow by vari- 

 ous things and then the result will approximate the amount stated to each 

 escutcheon. Mr. Reeder says the amount set down to each escutcheon is 



