48 



DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 



[Chap. I. 



Devon cow ■n-.is valued at one hundred dollars; tlien another cow of tlio 

 eainc blood, and equal to the first in every respect, except in her udder, 

 which is such as to make it certain that she can never be capable of giving 

 milk enough to nourish her calf, must be worth, according to the estimation 

 of the best Devon breeders, ninety-nine dollars ! It is safe, tliereforc, to say 

 that an animal whose udder and lacteal glands are regarded, by those who 

 best know her capacities and her merits, as of only one quarter part as much 

 consequence as the color of her nose, or half as much as the shape and size 

 of her horns, can not be reconunended for the dairy. The improved Xorth 

 Devon cow may be classed, in this respect, with the Hereford, neither of 

 which have well-developed milk-vessels — a point of the utmost consequence 

 to tlie practical dairyman." 



5i. The Mi5k-31i!TOrt — This is a term given in the Guenon method of 

 selecting good cows, to the escutcheon formed by the change of direction in 

 tlie hair on the rear part of the udder and parts adjacent. If this mirror is 

 large, it is supposed to indicate a good milker. For the better understanding 

 of it, we recommend a careful study of the " milk-mirror," and see how it 

 is generally developed upon all real good milkers — that is, good for quantity 

 rather than quality. 



" Milk-mirrors vary in position, extent, and the figure they represent. 

 They may be divided, according to their position, into mirrors or escutcheons, 

 properly so called, or into lower and upper tufts, or escutcheons. The latter 

 are very small in comparison with the former, and are situated in close 

 proximity to^the vulva, as seen in different breeds of cows. They are very 

 common on cows of bad milking races, but are very rarely seen on the best 

 milch cows. Tliey consist of one or two ovals, or small bands of up-growing 

 hair, and serve to indicate the continuance of the flow of milk. The period 

 is short in proportion as the tufts are large. They must not be confounded 

 with the escutcheon proper, which is often extended up to the vulva. They 

 are separated from it by bands of hair, more or less large, as you will find 

 from careful examination." 



It requires some skill to determine the exact size of a milk-mirror, since it 

 is not equally well defined in all cows, being at first sight apparently large 

 in some, which, upon close examination, will show faults — that is, that the 

 escutcheon of out-growing hairs is broken by tufts of down-growing hairs. 

 Mr. Flint says : 



" "We often find cows whose milk-mirror at first sight appears very large, 

 but which are only medium milkers ;.and it will usually be found tliat lateral 

 indentations greatly diminish the surface of up-growing hair. Many errors 

 are committed in estimating the value of such cows, from a want of attention 

 to the real extent of the milk-mirror. 



" All the interruptions in the surface of the mirror indicate a diminution 

 of the quantity of milk, with the exception, however, of small oval or 

 elliptical plates, which are found in the mirror, on the back part of the 

 udders of the best cows. 



