254 MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



true or false, as would enable the plainest farmer to judge for himself? The 

 celebrated " John Randolph of Roanoke" once complained to us, as Editor of the 

 old Turf Register and Sporting Magazine, for having allowed a correspondent to 

 use the phrase, sired — " Black Maria was sired by Eclipse," instead of " got by 

 Eclipse," — saying it would be quite as well to say that she was " dam'd by Lady 

 Lightfoot ;" and then told the story of a certain old maid in Virginia who was so 

 fastidious that she always called a certain old coin, that some of our readers 

 may remember, a water-reen ! 



At all events, the publishers were at a heavy expense in having these engrav- 

 ings prepared for the Journal ; and we had the satisfaction, when they presented 

 M. Guenon's discovery for sale for the merest trifle, in pamphlet form, to attach 

 to it other matter worth the full price of the whole ; so that no one was obliged 

 to buy in the first place, and, if he did, could not fail to get his penny worth. — 

 After all, does not this letter of Mr. Brooks settle the question ? May it not 

 now, in M. Guenon's own tongue, be considered iin fait accompli ? 



PniNCETON, Mass., October 15, 1846. 



Dear Sir : I received your favor of tlie 8tli inst. desiring me to state my opinion of the 

 value of M. Guenon's Treatise on Milch Cows, translated from the French, and published 

 in The Farmers' Liisrart. On my first meeting with tliis Treatise, I was so impressed 

 with its value, from my previous knovi'ledge of some general marks whereby the milking 

 properties of cow^s may, in some measure, be determined, and from the fact that I had my- 

 self noticed the oval marks above the hind teats, mentioned by M. Guonon as indicating good 

 milking qualities, that I immediately commenced the study and application of his method to 

 every cow that came under my observation. I have examined more than one hundred cows, 

 and after carefially marking then- escutcheons, I have become satisfied "that M. Guenon's 

 discovery is one of great merit, and can be relied upon as ti'ue. I have no doubt that I can 

 judge veiy nearly as to the quantity and quality of the milk any cow will give at the hight 

 of her flow, and also the time she will contiime in milk after being with calf. 



The way taken to convince myself of the truth of M. Guenon's method has been to visit 

 the cow-yards of some of our piincipal dairy-fanners, and examine the escutcheons and marks 

 on their cows, and make up my judgment as to the quantity and quaUty of milk each cow 

 would give at the hight of her flow, and how long she would continue in milk after being 

 with calf; then inquire of the owners how much milk their several cows would give at the 

 hight of their flow, and how long they would hold out after being with calf; compiu-ing the 

 owner's account vnth my own judgment. I fiial I have been mistaken in only five cases, 

 out of more than one hundred examined. 



I have great confidence in M. Guenon's method of testing the milking pix)pertics of cows, 

 and consider it one of the great discoveries of the age. The advantage of this discovery to 

 our dairy farmers, enabling them, as I think it does, to determine the milking properties of 

 their young stock at an early age, must be veiy gi'eat, and will be appreciated by eveiy one 

 who is in the slightest degree acquainted with the subject. In my opinion, no dairy fanner, 

 after acquainting hhnself wdth M. Guenon's discovery, need possess himselt'of a bad milking 

 cow. 



M. Guenon informs us that his system is applicable to calves three or four montlis old. I 



have traced the escutcheons upon calves as e;u-ly as two or three weeks old, and I see no 



reason why their value as tliture milkers may not be judged of at tliis age as well as at any 



other age. 



Yours respecUu'.ly, JOHN BROOKS. 



To J. S. Skinneb, Esq , Editor of The Fanners' Library, New-York City, f 



(542.) 



