INDIVIDUAL MERIT 



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Temperament. — Temperament signifies the degree and 

 character of development of the nervous system. It is 

 especially significant in judging certain types, such as the 

 horse, beef, and dairy animal. Each type of live stock has 

 peculiar temperamental characteristics significant of their 

 adaptability to various specialized purposes. The value of 

 the horse for pleasure or work is measured in a large degree 

 by the temperament possessed. Draft animals are character- 

 ized by lymphatic temperament or nerve force, while speed 



Fig. 7. — Jersey bull, showing nervous temperament. 



horses are characterized in an extreme manner in the highly 

 developed nervous temperainent possessed. 



The temperament of the dairy cow is likewise of a nervous 

 character. Heavy milk production is largely dependent on 

 the lean, spare framework indicative of a highly developed 

 nervous system. The degree of perfection reached in dairy 

 breeds is closely associated with the degree of development 

 of the nervous organization. Such a condition indicates 

 that the animal is turning all of the food materials, over and 

 above maintenance, into milk production. The beef animal, 

 having a close, compact, smooth form is characterized by 



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