242 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Oct. 



What Cows should Farmers Keep? 



As regards answering the above inquiry fully 

 and satisfactorily, v/e confess our inability to do 

 tiiat justice to the subject which its importance 

 demands. And we can assure the numerous 

 readers of the Farmer that it would give us great 

 pleasure to see it ansv/ered by some of their 

 abler and more experienced pens. Our mite we 

 know is small, but nevertheless it shall never be 

 withheld so long as improvement is counted 

 among the things that are. 



There is too little regard paid by most farmers 

 to the breeding and raising of domestic animals; 

 and in no one instance can we see a greater 

 chance for improvement, and one which would 

 be attended with more pecuniary profit to the 

 farmers themselves, than a wise selection of their 

 cows. Upon these the value anJ merit of their 

 entire herds, in a great measure, depend — and 

 we have yet to see that farmer who keeps good 

 cows whose other stock does not approach the 

 just standard of perfection, in proportion to their 

 excellence. 



But what are the qualities necessary to consti- 

 tute a good cowl A good milker alone does 

 not, in our judgment, make a good cow; neither 

 does a good breeder nor a good feeder. It is 

 these three qualities combined that make the cow. 

 Give us a cow that is good for milk, quality as 

 well as quantity considered — that, when properly 

 bred to good bulls, will invariably produce good 

 calves, and one that when dried of her milk will, 

 with proper care and attention, take on flesh rap- 

 idly and evenly, — and for one we will rest for a 

 while, at least, satisfied. And until we can raise 

 up an entire herd of cows, each one of which 

 shall possess all of these excellencies, our aim 

 shall be to advance in improvement until we ac- 

 complish our object. 



To possess the first of these qualities a cow 

 should have a fine head, a little wide above the 

 eyes, but quite small below, and appear somewhat 

 long. Her nose should be of a rich yellow color, 

 •or at all events not black; (we do not know of 

 any full blooded stock, of any breed, with black 

 noses, but they will frequently appear on stock 

 as high bred as fifteen-sixteenths.) Her neck 

 should be very small where it joins the head, but 

 widening and deepening as it approaches the 

 shoulders and brisket. Her udder should be of 

 good size, well covered with long soft hair, and 

 not inclining to fleshiness ; large milk veins, 

 and small delicate horns — they may be long in 

 some breeds, but they should be fine, and she 

 should have a yellow skin. 



To be a good breeder she should, in the first 

 place, be descended from good stock, and the 

 farther back you can trace her from good stock 

 the better. She should possess all the before 

 mentioned milking qualities, with abroad straight 

 back, wide loins and hips, long deep quarters, 



round ribs, small bones in proportion to her size» 

 deep and full brisket, fore legs wide apart and 

 short; and lastly, she should be a good handler. 

 A cow that is a good handler will also almost in- 

 variably produce rich milk; and if a first-rate 

 handler, and possessing the before mentioned 

 points, she will be invariably a good feeder. — 

 This handling quality is, or has been, too much 

 overlooked by breeders and judges at our Cattle 

 Shows. Judges that will give in their decisions 

 for premiums on stock, without even touching an 

 animal, are, in our opinion, unfit for their office. 

 We should not think of purchasing a cow for 

 milk, stock and beef, without knowing her to be 

 a good handler. She may be a good milker 

 without it, a tolerable breeder and feeder, — but 

 we have never yet owned a cow that was a bad 

 handler that possessed the three qualities combi- 

 ned. We term a cow a good handler that pos- 

 sesses a loose mellov/ skin, rather thin, well cov- 

 ered with fine soft hair — so that the hand, when 

 laid flat upon the ribs and brought together, shall 

 be easily and pleasantly filled. The skin should 

 also be loose and mellow upon the back and hips. 

 We have been thus particular as to the handling 

 quality, as, from our own observation, we do not 

 believe there is one person in five who keeps 

 stock, that knows any thing about it; and we also 

 acknowledge our own ignorance, and hope to get 

 more light from some of the numerous readers 

 of the Farmer. 



We never yet owned but one cow that came 

 any where near suiting us, (and v/e have owned, 

 and still do, some that we consider much above 

 an average. ) This is a three year old heifer, a 

 full blooded Durham, purchased of Mr. Vail, of 

 Troy, lust fall. We paid $150 in .cash for her, 

 and believe her to be the cheapest property we 

 ever bought — and now that we know her worth 

 we would not part with her for twice that sum. 



In conclusion we would just say to those far- 

 mers wishing to procure right stock, go and see 

 Mr. Vs herd, which now numbers some 60 head, 

 all full blood Durhams. We thought them about 

 right last fall, and now, with the addition of his 

 young stock, and those purchased of Mr. Pren- 

 tice (which Mr. P. reserved as the best from his 

 entire herd, at the time of his great sale a few 

 years since,) we think they cannot be surpassed 

 if equaled in this country. They are worth a 

 good journey, just to look at. Try it, and see 

 if you are not satisfied. 



Sanpord p. Chapman. 

 ClockviUe, Madison Co., Sept., 1848. 



Propagate only from the best. If you have 

 a poor or mal-formed animal, kill or sell him a 

 once ; if you have poor grain, dispose of it at 

 the most advantageous price, and purchase the 

 best you can procure. In this way you will 

 consult your own interests, and gain assuredly- 

 far more in the end than you lose. 



