46 



GUENON ON MiLCII COAVS. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE CLASSES AXD ORDERS. 



Prepared by W. P. Hazard, Secretary of the Pennsylvania Guenon Commission. 



In the following descriptions of the ten classes, and their sub-division 

 into six orders each, we give the quantity as stated, for a large-sized cow. 

 Not thinking it worth while to enter so minutely into his sub-divisions of 

 high, medium, and low cows. For instance, to class one, order one, he 

 gives to the high cow twenty-four litres, which is about equal to our twen- 

 tj'^-four quarts here ; the litre being exactly two and one eighth wine pints. 

 To the medium cow he gives nineteen quarts, and to the low cow, fourteen 

 quarts, per day. The size of his high cow is five hundred and fifty to six 

 hundred and fifty pounds, dressed weight ; the medium, three hundred and 

 twenty-five to four hundred and fifty pounds ; and the low, one hundred 

 and ten to two hundred and twenty-five pounds. As most of our cows 

 will range with the high cows, we have adopted the scale suitable to the 

 size, only the reader who practices the system must keep in mind that the 

 larger and more developed the cow, the more she will be likely to give than 

 the cow of smaller size. 



First Class. The Flanders Cow. 



Cows with this es- 

 cutcheon are the most 

 seldom found, except 

 among the most abund- 

 ant milkers. In the 

 first order they give 

 twenty quarts per day, 

 in the height of their 

 flow ; that is to say, 

 from the time they have 

 calved until they are 

 pregnant again. Then 

 they diminish, little by 

 " '^'<^-'^"<^^^'^^ little, until their next 

 "-tW^V^^I^ calving. It is 



t-^-^^^rv "^■'■^■^ calving. It is best to 

 ^'5 dry them off from four 

 i2^> to six weeks before 

 r ^— v^ calving, to give them a 

 needed rest, and it im- 

 proves the calf. 



Cows of the first class have a soft udder, with fine hair on it, rising until 

 it blends with similar hair growing upward on the thighs, above the hock, 

 and widening on the thick part of the thigh, 

 then narrowing, like in the engraving, until 

 it reaches the vulva, and being about two 

 inches on each side of it. The inner 

 parts of the thigh, and the vertical mirror 

 are usually of a yellowish or nankeen 

 color, with dark spots on them, from which 

 can be detached the dandruff. There are 

 two ovals on the udder, of fine short hair. 

 The second order of the first class are 

 similar to the first, but the escutcheon is 

 smaller ; and on the right side of the vulva is 

 a tuft of descending hair about two and one 

 half inches long and one and one half inches 

 broad, and there is but one oval on the 



