78 GuENON ON MiLcn Cows. 



Examination of the Herd of ■William Calder, Esq., Harrisburg. 



The commission visited one of the farms of William Calder, near Har- 

 risburg. This gentleman has seven farms, containing nine hundred acres, 

 and keeps a variety of stock. On the farm visited, near the reservoir, the 

 commission examined eight head of grade stock, in very good order, on 

 good September pasturage. The dairyman, a very intelligent man, had 

 no record of the exact quantitj'^ and quality of the stock, but, as he 

 mdked them himself, a knowledge of their general qualities ; and upon 

 hearing the decision of the commission upon each cow, assented to the 

 character given of all of them, except on two points : on one as to yield, 

 and on another as to time. It was pleasing to notice the surprise and de- 

 light expressed by him at the exhibition, of entire strangers to the herd, 

 of such accurate knowledge of them as the system showed it could give. 

 And he determined to acquire it forthwith. 



The commission saw a very fine black grade cow, with the calf by her 

 side a perfect specimen of the Belted stock, though sired by a thorough- 

 bred Jersey bull — to be accounted for only by the fact that the cow had 

 been served by a Belted bull the third time before this one. 



Examination of Several Herds near West Grove, Blanketed and Unblank- 

 eted, under the Supervision of a Committee of the Experimental Farm 

 Club. 



It had been stated by some that the commission used the ordinary means 

 of judging of the value of cows, in addition to the Guenon tests. This was, 

 of course, entirely denied by the commission; and as it was repeated in 

 the public print, the commission, to settle the matter in the minds of can- 

 did men, offered to have any number of cows blanketed, so that only their 

 posteriors could be seen, and then judge of their escutcheons, provided a 

 committee should be present at the examination, view it closely, and give 

 a report. Thus pressed, the challenge was accepted, and there was ap- 

 pointed a committee of five of some of the best farmers and dair3'men 

 residing near the Experimental farm. It was also understood that any 

 could attend who wished to, and on the day of the examination three 

 of the committee were present, as well as a number of other farmers. The 

 commission examined the first five in the stable, blanketed, then two 

 unblanketed, then two blanketed, and the remaining four unblanketed 

 The report of this committee is appended herewith. The cows were ex- 

 amined on a farm of Thomas Gawthrop, near West Grove. Afterward a 

 number of cows were examined on several farms in the neighborhood, in 

 the presence of the committee. No longer time was required to form an 

 opinion on the blanketed cows than on the others, and the comparative 

 results can be judged from the accompanying tables. 



The commission met them on the day appointed, at the farm of Thomas 

 Gawthrop, and in the presence of the committee (three being present,) 

 and of others, examined seven cows blanketed, and would have examined 

 more, but the committee said it was useless, as they could see, and had 

 full faith that only the escutcheon was considered by the commission. On 

 this farm thirteen head were examined, and the results are herewith given. 

 All then adjourned to the farms of Mark Hughes, Howard Preston, and 

 Everard Conard, and examined other stock in the presence of the commit- 

 tee. The committee's report will be found annexed, thus setting to rest 

 the charge that the commission were examining by any other than the 

 Guenon test. 



