20 DAIRY CATTLE AND MILK PRODUCTION 



is said to have a good dairy temperament. This means she is 

 endowed by nature with a strong stimulation to produce milk, 

 and uses practically all the nutrients she can digest for milk 

 production. This accounts for the spare form and absence 

 of any surplus fat, even when the animal evidently has abun- 

 dant food. As a result of the above, a high-class producing 

 cow when in milk is usually thin and sharp over the withers, 



5 



FIG. 5. Cross-section of a high-class fat steer ready for market, 

 a, heart girth ; b, paunch. Weight, 1500 pounds. 



her backbone stands out strong and prominent, her hips and 

 pelvic region stand out almost free from flesh. 



Figs. 4 and 5 show the contrast between highly developed beef 

 and dairy animals. These cross-sections were made by the 

 method devised by the Missouri Experiment Station. 1 When 

 the cow is dry or nearly so she should carry more fl esh than when 

 in full flow of milk, and should not be criticised on this account. 

 The breed type should be taken into account as well, and the 

 mistake avoided of judging all by the same arbitrary standard. 



1 Waters, Proceedings Society for the Promotion of Agricultural Science, 

 1908, p. 71. 



