CHAPTER XXV. 



JUDGING THE DAIRY TYPE OF CATTLE 

 BY SCALE OF POINTS. 



The evolution of the dairy cow undoubtedly dates back 

 many years. The breeding of cows for the dairy has been 

 conducted for some centuries in Holland. Cows noted for 

 milk production were taken to England from that country 

 long ago. Early English writings in referring to cattle, 

 have however made scant reference to the dairy cow, beef 

 production being the main consideration. In one notable 

 English agricultural book, 1 published in 1767, rules are 

 given to be observed in buying cattle. "If cows for the 

 pail," says the author, "let them also be young, high of 

 stature, and long bodied, with large and round belly, large, 

 fair, and smooth horns, a broad, smooth forehead, udders 

 white, not fleshy, but large and lank, with four teats and no 

 more." 



The importance of dairy cattle type as associated with 

 milk production, received special attention among Ayrshire 

 breeders as early as 1811, when Aiton referred to details 

 of conformation. 2 Later on William Harley, in 1829, in a 

 work on a dairy system 3 emphasized thin shoulders and 

 large, broad hindquarters on the dairy cow. In 1834 the 

 introduction on the Island of Jersey of the first scale of 

 points, attracted serious attention to dairy cow conforma- 

 tion and its improvement. In 1853 a prize essay in Scot- 

 land 4 dealing with the details of type, described the shoul- 

 ders as thin on top, and the forequarters as thin in front 



1 The Complete Grazier, 2d edition. 



2 A Survey of Ayrshire, Glasgow, 1811. 



3 The Harleian Dairy System. 



* Transactions Highland and Agricultural Society, 1866-7, p. 106. 



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