PREFACE. 



The want has long been felt for a hand book which would simplify and 

 explain the invaluable discovery of Guenon, to enable any one to select 

 good stock. There can be no doubt if this discovery is made to be easily 

 acquired, that millions of dollars would be saved to the community by the 

 improvement of herds and a consequent reduction in the price of bovine 

 products, on account of the increased yield and the lower cost of raising it. 



The State of Pennsylvania, in 1818, appointed a commission to test the 

 system and report upon it. As a member of that commission, we found 

 there was with many a superficial knowledge of the subject, with others 

 enough acquaintance with the system to destroy their faith in it, and with 

 nearly all a desire to obtain suflScient practical knowledge of the system 

 to enable them to judge understandingly and to practice it. 



With a view to fill these wants, we have undertaken the explanation of 

 the system in the following pages to enable all to fill up their measure of 

 knowledge of the system, so that the superficial shall become thorough, 

 the doubting acquire new faith, and all see its merits the more they prac- 

 tice and apply it. 



We have accordingly given a sketch of M. Guenon and the progress of 

 his discovery ; some extracts from his preface explaining his views ; an 

 explanation of his system of escutcheon marks ; a description of the vari- 

 ous escutcheons and their indications of value and quantity, and directions 

 how to practically apply them, together with the report of the Pennsylvania 

 Guenon Commission. 



Believing that we have thus presented a comprehensive view of this dis- 

 covery, we trust every one into whose hands this work may come, will 

 patiently, book in hand, go into the farm-yard and judge of the value of 

 his stock by the rules here set forth, compare the results with his indi- 

 vidual knowledge of his stock, and fairly estimate the value of the system. 



The illustrations of the escutcheons are photographed from Guenon's 

 drawings in his last revised edition. 



WILLIS P. HAZARD. 



Maple Knoll, West Chester, Pa., September^ 1879. 



