288 JUDGING FARM ANIMALS 



wide through, comparatively, as the beef cow. The floor 

 of the chest should be well rounded out and somewhat 

 strong in its thickness, yet with a lean, refined brisket ex- 

 tending slightly beyond the legs. A cross section of the 

 chest, from the chine or backbone just back of the withers 

 and shoulders, will show an outline comparable with that 

 of an egg with the large end down. If the shoulders are 

 neatly placed and the chest is not too flat of rib, the crops 

 will be fairly filled. Ordinarily, weak crops and close 

 spacing between shoulder points give evidence of poor chest 

 capacity. Depth of chest is of great importance if vigorous 

 constitution and good feeding capacity is sought. The 

 back of the dairy cow should be lean, and strongly carried, 

 with well-defined spines or vertebrae, furnishing important 

 evidence relating to conformation. Guernsey breeders are 

 taught 10 to look for a ' ' backbone rising well between shoul- 

 der blades ; large, rugged spinal processes, indicating good 

 development of the spinal cord." The points of the spine 

 from between the shoulders almost to the beginning of the 

 loin, are long, and unless too much covered with flesh, are 

 easily felt. This prominence of backbone, and so-called 

 openness of spine, are regarded as important accompani- 

 ments of dairy type, as well as nervous temperament. There 

 is no evidence, however, to show that the spinal cord of the 

 dairy cow is any different from that of the beef cow. The 

 main factor is that lack of flesh is necessarily related to 

 heavy milk production. The back should be strong and 

 show little sag. Old dairy cows often have marked depres- 

 sion or weakness of back. Dairy cattle judges are not as 

 critical as beef cattlemen in judging the way the back is 

 supported, for the reason that it is impossible to get a per- 

 fectly level back on cattle, unless by the aid of flesh, which, 

 of course, is undesirable with the dairy type. Young ani- 

 mals, however, that have not been milked should show a 

 comparatively level and strongly supported back. The loin 



10 Scale of points adopted by American Guernsey Cattle Club, December 13, 

 1899. 



