TREATISE ON MILCH COWS. 



49 



The foregoing proceedinga took place at the General Meeting of the Society, at the Honse of 



ibe Prefecture, oa the 4th of July. 



A true extract 



[Signed] RICHIEE, Seorttary General of Hie Society. 



AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF AURILLAC. 



At its General Meeting of the 26th May, the following Report was pre- 

 sented and read on the subject of the experiments which I had been called upon 

 to make : 



Report. 



Gentlemen : M. Francis GKi^non, a husbandman of Lihonme, has established a method, deem- 

 ed by him infallible, by means of "which, upon a mere inspection of any Milch Cow, she may be 

 judged of, and we may know the quality of her milk, the quantity of it which she is capable of 

 yielding, and also the time during -which she can give milk. 



A Committee appointed by the Agricultural Society of Bordeaux, and composed of several well 

 informed agriculturists, and of a very distinguished Professor of the Veterinary art of the Depart- 

 ment of Gironde, had already home testimony, after putting it to numerous tests, to the efficacious- 

 ness of the system of M. Gu^non ; and the result of its observations had been published in a very 

 remarkable Report, addressed to all the Agricultural Societies of France. 



Your Society, considering that this discovery might he of high importance to our country, which 

 derives its income chiefly from the product of Milch Cows, entered into correspondence with its 

 author, and gladly accepted his obliging offer to come to Auvergne and subject his method to the 

 test of experiment. 



Yesterday, the 25th of May, M. Gnenon arrived at Anrillac, and immediately proceeded with 

 the members of your Committee to the Ve^rac farm, belonging to the President of the Society. — 

 He examined with the utmost care the fine cow stable of that domain, which embraces one hun- 

 dred Cows, of the best varieties that we possess. He then began his experiments upon a number 

 of Cows which were presented to him, and which bad designedly been selected from among the 

 best, the moderately good, and the most indifferent of the establishment. Upon each of these sep- 

 arately, M. Gu^non pronounced with precision, both in regard to her daily yield of milk, and to 

 the time during which she continued to give milk after being, got with calf. We must acknow- 

 ledge, Gentlemen, that his decisions corresponded almost invariably with the statements obtained 

 from the persons in whose charge the Cows are. The only variances we had to notice were some 

 very slight ones in regard to the quantity of milk. On this point, we must call your attention to 

 the fact that the Cows of that establishment are always fed high, upon clover or other artificial 

 grasses which considerably augment the quantity of milk ; and that this may have caused the mis- 

 take of M. Guenon, which consisted in bis pronouncing the yield to be a little less than it really is. 

 It is to be remarked that he was totally unacquainted -with the usages of the country in regard to 

 the feeding of Cattle. 



In order thoroughly to convince your Committee of the reality of the discovery, M. Guenon 

 made us acquainted with the different signs upou which his method rests. With reference to 

 these signs, which are extemal-and apparent, and stamped by the hand of Nature upon each ani- 

 mal, he has established eight classes or families, that comprehend all the varieties of the Cow found 

 in the various Provinces of France. Each class is divided into eight orders ; and each of these 

 orders into three sections, according to size, as being high, of medium hight, sad low. 



According to the numerous observations of the author, all Cows belong to some one of these 

 classes or families, and take their place under some one of the eight orders of the class. Each 

 class possesses marks differing in shape and size from those of the other classes ; and these marks 

 are easy to disdnguish, on merely looking at them. In each class, the Cows of the first orders are 

 the best of the class, and the yield of milk is in proportion to the order; so that tlie two higher or- 

 ders are the most productive, the third and fourth orders tolerably good, and the others falling off 

 more and more, according to their grade. 



M. Guenon applied his system, in our presence, to a number of Cows which were presented to 

 him a second time ; he made us remark their various signs, which differed in size and shape, and 

 were larger or smaller according as the Cow was a good or a bad milker. He informed us that 

 bis system is equally applicable to young animals, and that their future qualities in regard to the 

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