THE GENESEE FARMER. 



83 



^^z : that the skm of the ndder must not be thick, 

 whereas thickness on the rump and ribs is quite con- 

 sistent with the be.st properties, provided it be loose, 

 soft and flexible. In fact, a thickish, soft hide, gen- 

 erally indicates hardiness of constitution, from its 

 greater capability to resist or modify external influ- 

 ences^ whether of climate or cuticular irrigation from 

 the bites of insects. 



" The hair is the next point to be studied. It should 

 be moderately long, closely set, and above all, soft 

 and wooly. As the thick soft skin is an indication 

 of hardiness, much more so is this the case when 

 covered with long, thick, wooly hair. A bare, hard- 

 haired cow, is ever to be avoided by the dainman as 

 well as the grazier. If even a moderate milker, yet 

 she will be a groat eater, and never pay for her food. 



" Color is immaterial, and depends on the breed. A 

 brov\-u cow is supposed to give milk rich in butter, 

 while a black one gives much milk, which is poorer 

 in butter. A white cow looks larger than she really 

 is, while a black one looks smaller. According to 

 the law of absorption and radiation of heat, a black 

 cow will aljsorb much solar heat in summer, and ra- 

 diate, or throw off, a large amount of animal heat in 

 winter. On the other hand, a white cow will absorb 

 less heat in summer, and radiate less in winter ; and 

 the practical result is, that the black cov.- is too warm 

 in summer and too cold in winter, Mhile the white one 

 is cool in summer and warm in winter. This is some- 

 what oppo.sed to the popular idea on the subject, 

 which attributes a cold appearance to a white animal 

 in winter, and the contrary' to a black one ; but that 

 this is a popular fallacy may be seen, independent of 

 the scientitic explanation of the phenomenon, from 

 the fact that the native or wild breed of cattle in 

 Britain were all white, and are so still in ChiUingham 

 Park, where the animals are never housed ; and also 

 from the fact that white is the prevailing color of all 

 artic animals — bears foxes and hares all being of this 

 hue. The practical conclusions deducible from the 

 fact that a black cow absorbs much heat in summer 

 and radiates much in winter, are : Jirst, she must be 

 more susceptible of, and more injured by, sudden at- 

 mospheric changes than a white cow ; secondly, in 

 cold weather she Mill lose much heat by radiation, 

 and hence must eat more food to keep up the animal 

 heat at its proper temperature. Again, in warm 

 weather she will require less food for this purpose 

 than a white cow, but will be oppressed with heat, 

 and more liable to profuse perspirations. The result 

 of these conditions on the milking properties of the 

 two animals will be, that the black cow will be liable 

 to have her milk injured in quahty by excess of heat, 

 and consequent irritation of the system, and profuse 

 perspiration, in summer ; while, on the other hand, 

 the cream or oily part of it will be diminished in 

 quantity in cold weather, by the cow usinsr more of 

 the food she eats to keep up the natural heat of her 

 blood. This accounts, in some degree, for the popu- 

 lar notion that the milk of a black cow is generally 

 poorer in butter than that of a white or mixed color. 



" Temperament and Constitution, — Animals, like 

 human beings, are differently developed in their ner- 

 vous, sanguineous, muscular and lymphatic constitu- 

 tions, and their tempers and dispositions vary accord- 

 ingly. Each breed of cattle is characterized by 



peculiarities of temper, activity and endurance. The 

 AjTshire cow presents a good 'specimen of the union 

 of the nervous and sanguine temperaments, in which 

 the latter predominates. The North Highland kyloe 

 also possesses a union of the same temperaments,'but 

 the nervous predominates, which gives her a restless 

 and even fierce aspect. The Short-horn possesses a 

 temperament in which the lymphatic is largely de- 

 veloped ; she is slow and sluggish, but all the more 

 disposed to fatten on that account. The muscular 

 temperament is diappearing before the march of im- 

 provement, as animals of this description are neither 

 good for the grazier nor the dairy, being fleshy, thick- 

 skinned, and poor milkers. Constitution is the result 

 of natural temperament and physical configuration, 

 but each temperament has its own particular diseases 

 to which it is liable. The nervous temperament pre- 

 disposes to fevers, the sanguine to inflammations, and 

 the lymphatic to lung diseases; but asthe^ tempera- 

 ments are never found distinct, but always combined 

 together in some proportion or other, "the peculiar 

 diseases to which these unions give rise are as endless 

 as the constitutions themselves. 



" Atmospheric causes, and artificial treatment, also 

 impress certain physiological characteristics upon 

 cattle. Exposure to cold, when young, has a ten- 

 dency to develop those parts of the system whose 

 office it is to protect the vital functions from being 

 injured by this cause. TThen an animal is early ex- 

 posed to cold, the hide thickens, and becomes covered 

 with long thick hair. It becomes inured to exposure, 

 and is little affected by atmospheric changes. A 

 long continuance of such treatment, as in the case 

 of the kjioes, from one generation to another, soon 

 impresses a peculiar habit of growth upon them, and 

 this in time settles into a fixed and permanent tem- 

 perament, or physiological character. Even, however, 

 among individuals of the same breed, exposed to the 

 same external influences, there are great discrepencies 

 as regards individual constitutions. Some are more 

 hardy than others, simply because certain causes, 

 either accidentally or designedly induced, have given 

 them better digestive powers, stronger lungs, and 

 more vital energy. This superiority of constitution, 

 whatever may be its cause, is generally indicated by 

 a large round body, a soft flexible skin, by no means 

 thin, which is covered with a thick coat of soft, silky, 

 or wooly hair. A large paunch is usually the sign 

 of an animal which can and will consume a great 

 quantity of fodder in the shape of hay or straw ; and 

 this we know, by experience, to be one of the best 

 indications of a good, healthy, hardy, thriving animal, 

 whether cow, horse or sheep. Strength of constitu- 

 tion can be transmitted as well as other peculiarities; 

 so that a careful breeder, by always breeding from 

 animals that he knows to be of good constitution, 

 will ultimately succeed in strengthening and improving 

 his stock." 



High Priced Cows. — C. ^L Clay purchased two 

 cows at a sale of imported stock in Cincinnati, on 

 the 31st of December last, for S2,300. S. Merkdith, 

 of Cambridge, la., bought two others for Sl.800. 

 These were high-bred herd-book Durhams. The 

 remainder were withdrawn for want of sufficient 

 bids. 



