26 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



their high quality or richness of their milk ; these make 

 butter producers. What we want is a combination of quan- 

 tity and quality, which, under some circumstances, is espe- 

 cially economical. 



Some suggestions to guide in choosing a good dairy cow : 

 she must be of fine organization ; her muzzle fine ; her e3^es 

 large and clear ; her neck long and thin ; all her legs well 

 spread ; her pelvis large ; her back inclined to be sharp ; 

 a long, slim tail, with a heavy bush, goes with a good cow. 

 A heavy milker nmst have a large udder, but is rather broad 

 than long. Such an udder should have short hair, and when 

 milked should l)e shrunk in size, and the skin should hang 

 loosely over the surface. The shape and set of the teats is 

 an important consideration in buying a cow ; an ideal-shaped 

 teat is long and rather slim. 



We must set our standard high for a good cow. By keep- 

 ing a milk record of the individual cow for a season, and by 

 use of the Babcock tester to determine the percentage of 

 butter fat, it is quite easy to find out the cows that will come 

 up to your standard. We know of dairymen who keep one- 

 half of their herd at an actual loss ; possibly the whole herd 

 is making a little profit. Some are satisfied with the returns, 

 though small ; and others are complaining about the milk 

 business, — how it is impossible to make ends meet mth the 

 prevailing prices, and so on, — when the fault is not in the 

 prices, but in themselves ; content to keep worthless cows, 

 and not taking any steps to ascertain which they are. 



If a man will take pains in selecting, the standard will be 

 gradually raised each year, weeding out the poor ones and 

 breeding only from the best. Do not condemn a heifer with 

 her first calf, if she is a promising individual, if she does 

 not do well ; but if she continues to do poorly, on second 

 lactation, she should be kept no longer. There is a vast 

 difference in the efficiency and profit derived from individual 

 dairj^ cows. Cows of excellent quality can be obtained at 

 fair prices in nearly all sections, but you will have to take- 

 some time and pains to ferret them out. 



