THE DISPOSAL OF COWS 28I 



from her first year in lactation, as, in some instances, 

 with more maturity comes production greatly increased. 

 Cows with vicious habits, such as confirmed kicking 

 when being milked, are undesirable in any dairy. Cows 

 also that react to the tubercular test should be sent to 

 the block at the earliest possible moment, but if of ex- 

 ceptional inheritance, it may be proper, in some in- 

 stances, to breed from them, rearing the calves on milk 

 obtained from other cows. But such cows should be 

 at once isolated. (See page 425.) 



The presence of a defective udder or of some de- 

 formity, the outcome of some mishap, may not be a 

 sufficient reason for discarding such animals, as, notwith- 

 standing, they may be able to produce most excellent 

 progeny. But, if seriously deformed, the aim should be to 

 keep them separate from the herd, because of the ad- 

 verse impression which their presence may make upon 

 visitors. 



The relative values of immature and mature females, 

 as determined by the average prices paid for these 

 respectively, is a striking comment on the power of 

 custom, even in transactions that deal with material 

 values. During recent years, young females, when 

 purely bred, have sold for prices not much below those 

 obtained for young cows whose producing powers have 

 been proved by actual performance. This curious fact, 

 though greatly to the advantage of the seller of young 

 females, is equally to the disadvantage of the purchaser. 

 The considerably superior value of a young female whose 

 producing powers have been proved, other things being 

 equal, over one whose powers have not been so proved, 

 must be apparent to any one who has thought upon the 

 question. 



Although the prevailing tendency is against invest- 

 ment in aged cows, when making purchases, there may 

 be instances when such a course would be commendable, 

 providing these are purely bred. The wisdom of such 



