274 JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



in the agricultural colleges early in the nineties, put into 

 systematic operation lessons in judging dairy cattle by the 

 score card, emphasizing dairy cow type. 



The function of the dairy cow is primarily to produce 

 milk, which process is inseparably associated with repro- 

 duction. The cow that is a non-breeder soon dries off and 

 has no further value excepting for meat. The production 

 of milk as a first essential, is recognized as antagonistic 

 to the development of flesh, and vice versa. It is true that 

 examples may be found of cows that are beefy of type, that 

 yield large milk flows, but these are the exception and not 

 the rule. Long continued experience on the part of prac- 

 tical breeders and dairy cattle students, has conclusively 

 demonstrated that milk is produced at the expense of flesh. 

 Generations of breeding in certain lines of heredity have 

 resulted in a great development of this function of milk 

 secretion, so that to-day we find many thousands of cows 

 producing remarkable annual yields of milk, that twenty- 

 five years ago would have been considered impossible. 



Method in judging the dairy cow follows the arrange- 

 ment of the scale of points, taking into consideration gen- 

 eral appearance first, following this by detailed examination 

 in order from head to hindquarters. The judge views the 

 dairy animal at rest and in motion, on the same general 

 plan as with the beef animal, but does not handle except- 

 ing in a limited degree. The skin and udder are the only 

 parts that require the attention of the hands, the rest of 

 the examination being conducted by the eye. Some judges 

 handle the spinal column and feel the width and spac- 

 ing of the ribs. Dairy cattle judges, however, do not 

 handle thin cattle as much as do those passing on beef 

 cattle. In European shows of dairy cattle attended by the 

 author, some of which were very large, the judges did not 

 handle the udder at all. One well-known judge, who has 

 passed on many important dairy cattle exhibits in America, 

 scarcely touches the udder, while most judges in this coun- 



