174 Types and Market Classes of Live Stock 



one agricultural college published a score card for dairy cows that gave 

 about 50 points out of 100 to the escutcheon. 



Modern tests have found this theory to be altogether lacking in 

 accuracy. At the present time most score cards used by colleges allow 

 only one or two points to the escutcheon. Some have omitted it from 

 consideration altogether, and this seems entirely justifiable, as the 

 escutcheon theory may be rightly regarded as a quack theory. 



The quality of dairy cows is shown in the hide, hair, ear, horn, 

 head, and bone, the same as in beef cattle. The dairy cow has a 

 thinner skin than the beef cow, and it should also possess a maximum 

 of mellowness and oiliness. An oily hide is something of an evidence 

 of milk rich in fat; and an abundant yellowish secretion about the 

 udder, inside the thighs, around the eyes, inside the ears, at the root 

 of the tail, and below any spots of light-colored hair indicates a rich 

 butter color. Opinions differ on the question of quality in dairy cattle. 

 Some breeders aim at a very rugged type having great constitution, 

 medium size of bone, and a medium thick hide. This type is exempli- 

 fied by many Holstein-Friesians and by the St. Lambert family of 

 Jerseys. Other breeders desire extreme quality, and this may result 

 in some delicacy of constitution. Perhaps this type is best illustrated 

 by what is known as the "island type" of Jersey, which is the type 

 developed in the native home of the breed on the island of Jersey, and 

 also fostered by many breeders of Jersey cattle in the United States. 

 The average dairyman will be wise to follow a course midway between 

 the two extremes, insisting upon constitution first and then upon as 

 much quality as may be had without delicacy. 



The temperament is of much importance. Temperaments are of 

 two kinds — sanguine and lymphatic. The sanguine temperament is 

 characterized by a strong, frequent pulse, firm flesh, and active move- 

 ments. The lymphatic temperament is featured by a rather sluggish 

 circulation, fleshiness, thicker skin and coarser hair, slow movements, 

 and quietness. The sanguine temperament is possessed in marked 

 degree by the best dairy cattle, while beef cattle have the lymphatic 

 temperament. The best evidence of true dairy temperament is a lean, 

 angular appearance in all parts of the animal. A dairy bull, a young 

 heifer, or a dry cow may show some degree of fleshiness without being 

 seriously faulted for it, but a cow well advanced in a lactation period 

 should be free from beefiness, even when fed to the limit of her capacity. 

 This is a good indication that she is an economical milk producer. 



The disposition varies greatly in different individuals. An irrita- 

 ble, kicking, fence-jumping cow is not expected to make much of a 

 record as a milk and butter-fat producer. She uses too much of her 

 energy in performance that has no market value; the making of milk 



