NEAT STOCK. 249 



from good milkers. The mother should be a good milker, and 

 the bull should come from a good milker, and then we shall 

 have a good chance to have a good milker. Sometimes one 

 parent imparts its character to the progeny, and sometimes the 

 other. If both possess the property desired, our probability of 

 securing it in the offspring is greatly increased ; and the longer 

 the line of descent through which any characteristic can be 

 traced, the stronger is the probability that it will be found in 

 the animal we are rearing. To insure good milking properties, 

 or any other properties, it is not sufficient that they should have 

 been possessed by the immediate parent. This may be acci- 

 dental. They should be established as the permanent properties 

 of the family or breed to whicli they belong. So long as our 

 farmers purchase from droves, heifers or young cows, on which 

 they depend for milkers, they cannot be sure that the progeny 

 of those even that prove good milkers, will inherit the same 

 character. But a calf that has sprung from several successive 

 generations of good milkers, may be relied upon with a good 

 degree of certainty. 



Good milkers possess certain physical marks or characteristics, 

 which, although not absolutely certain indications, should never 

 be neglected. These marks are well known to all observing 

 men, and may be seen in the calf, at least the most prominent 

 of them, at an early period. 



We think no farmer, wishing to obtain a good milker, would 

 raise a calf with a large head and a short muzzle, large, thick 

 neck, full, high shoulders, large legs, short, thick tail and coarse 

 hair. He would rather select one with a small head, long muzzle, 

 bright eyes, thin, tapering neck, small legs, large hind quarters, 

 long, slim tail, soft skin and fine hair. Guenon and Haxton 

 affirm that the form and size of the escutcheon, upon which 

 they greatly rely in determining the character of the cow, may 

 be ascertained in the calf; that it is not fully developed, because 

 the parts on which it is placed are not fully developed at this 

 period of life ; but that careful examination will reveal its true 

 character. Now, although there are apparent exceptions to 

 Guenon's rules, yet we believe that most good milkers possess 

 the marks which he points out. If these marks can be ascer- 

 tained in the calf, they will afford a guide of no small value in 

 determining what heifer calves to raise, and what to send to the 



32 



