362 THE ESSENTIALS OF AGRICULTURE 



467. General appearance. A high-producing cow appears thin, 

 angular, and loose-jointed. The dairy cow " has three wedges." 

 One wedge is seen when the cow is viewed from the front, 

 one when she is viewed from the side, and one when she is 

 viewed from above. The first wedge mentioned is formed by 

 the withers being sharp and the chest being wide. The tapering 

 depth from the rear part of the barrel l and udder to the head 

 and neck forms the wedge as seen from the side. The wedge 

 seen from above is formed by the extreme width through the 

 hips gradually tapering to the sharp withers. The wedge shape 

 is not extremely pronounced in all dairy cows, but in all the best 

 animals such a form is likely to be found. 



468. Quality. Quality in a dairy cow is indicated by fine hair, 

 by soft, loose, mellow skin of medium thickness, and by a fine, 

 clean bone. Dairy temperament is another essential to good 

 quality. By dairy temperament is meant the ability to convert 

 the feed into milk ; this is indicated by a good nervous system 

 well under control. A good temperament is indicated by a neat, 

 refined appearance, by spareness in flesh when in milk, and by 

 a large, full, mild eye. Though spare in flesh while in milk, a 

 good dairy cow may be allowed to carry considerable fat when 

 not giving milk. 



469. The head. The head should be clean cut, of medium 

 length, quiet in expression, and have a feminine appearance. 

 The eye should be large, bright, and full, indicating strong 

 nervous power and health. A mild expression in the eye indi- 

 cates a good disposition. The forehead should be slightly dished 

 and broad. The jaw should be strong and wide, tapering some- 

 what to a strong, broad muzzle. A large muzzle and a strong 

 jaw are indications of a good feeder. The ears should be of 

 medium length, good texture, and fine quality, with an abun- 

 dance of orange or yellow color inside. The neck should be 

 moderately long, thin, and muscular, with clean throat and light 

 dewlap. The neck of the typical dairy cow joins the body ab- 

 ruptly, and not as neatly as does the neck of the beef animal. 



1 Abdomen. 



