Early Life of Guenon. 13 



many pretended savans would endeavor to throw ridicule upon it ; many 

 others would identify the gentlemen making the tests with it, as if it was 

 their system that they were testing ; while not a few still more narrow- 

 minded, would think they were trying to humbug them. Thus it was 

 difficult to fill the places, which offered neither honor nor profit. 



It will be seen, by these extracts, that the Governor appointed three 

 experts to test the system. This they did in the summer of 1878, exam- 

 ining two hundred cows, jotting down their opinion of the yield, quality, 

 and time of each of them, and afterwards printing tbem alongside of the 

 reports of their owners, so that the public could form their own estimate 

 of the results of the examinations of the commission. They are here 

 re-printed, to show how it was carried out. Particular attention is called 

 to the examinations of the blanketed cows in Thomas Gawthrop's herd. 



On M. Guenon and his System. 



It is proper we should inquire into M. Guenon, and the origin and de- 

 velopment of his system. 



Monsieur Frangois Guenon, a husbandman of Libourne, in Prance, was 

 the son of a gardener, and followed for sometime his ancestor's trade. He 

 seems to have had a mind above those in his position. As we look at his 

 portrait, he appears to have a clear eye, a cool head, great determination, 

 firmness of character, a well-balanced mind, and with it all, a vigor of 

 constitution which buoys him up, and enables him to over-ride obstacles. 

 He says himself, he was of an observant turn of mind, fond of compar- 

 ing things, and deducing consequences from what he learned by observa- 

 tion and comparison, particularly from the Book of Nature. Young, 

 ardent and healthy, with the vivacity of his race, he felt himself destined 

 for better things than those a gardener's life would insure him. What 

 wonder then that his eye was keen to see, his mind to grasp and analyze 

 any new turn of thought that chance might throw in his ma,y. 



Like most self-made men, who have made their mark in life's pilgrimage, 

 he set himself to work to improve himself — to acquire that which would 

 expand his mind, and fit it to receive any new inspiration, and be able to 

 develop it. He studied the works of the best writers on botany and agri- 

 culture ; and applied his knowledge by following up all the ramifications 

 of the vegetable kingdom, and studied their external signs, that distinguish 

 the diflferent sorts, and ascertained their qualities and productiveness. 



In France, they have few fences, and the cattle of a neighborhood are 

 driven to the grazing ground, and herded together, and, in turn, members 

 of each or several families, (the younger portion,) are put to watch that 

 the cattle do not stray out of bounds. Such companionship with their 

 stock makes the owners fond of them, and they are treated as pets, and 

 become very docile. When young Guenon was about fourteen years of 

 age, he would drive their cow to graze. His cow he was very fond of, and 

 could identify her among any number. She was a good milker. 



