TEMPERAMENT 33 



draw out so much milk. Her organization is not of that sort. 

 The cow yields milk in response to the impulse given by 

 motherhood. As the glands secrete milk and draw upon the 

 blood and lymphatic system for material to transform into 

 milk the cow's whole system, as it were, becomes hungry, and 

 the cow in response to this hunger consumes liberal quantities 

 of feed. Heavy consumption and the development of a large 

 barrel then are effect, not cause. They are the result of the 

 activity of the milk-secreting glands. 



A cow may have capacity, however, without possessing dairy 

 type. A high-class beef animal must have a good middle. 

 Consequently the question naturally follows, k> What will the 

 animal do with the feed after she gets it ? " and this brings us 

 to the second element in dairy type. 



Temperament. — A cow possessing what is known as dairy 

 temperament is inclined to be alert and almost nervous, in fact, 

 just the opposite of sluggish or sleepy. Dairy temperament, 

 however, includes more than nervous organization, except as 

 the nervous system affects the general physical condition. A 

 cow with a thin neck, comparatively sharp withers, lean shoul- 

 ders, prominent spine with the vertebra open, with thin thighs, 

 slender tail, and refined legs, is one which will produce milk 

 economically, provided the other essentials are present (Fig. 

 10). While it is possible to go so far with this matter of thin 

 angular development that the animal will be too excitable and 

 too tender to withstand ordinary conditions, it is also a fact that 

 any animal which carries appreciably more flesh than necessary 

 to perform her natural functions not only largely wastes the 

 feed which was required to build the needless meat, but is also 

 subjected to the constant expense or feed cost thereafter, of 

 maintaining the heavier body (Fig. 10). 



This may be illustrated by two men. A and D are farmers 

 who have equal need for house room. A builds his house for 

 $3000 and uses all of it. D builds larger, his house costing 

 $4000, and he does not use all the space. D in this case has 

 not only wasted the extra thousand in putting it where it can 

 do no good, but will also be subjected to the constant expense 

 3 



