CHOOSING A COW 193 



be she ever so spare. But in the absence of more accurate in- 

 formation, the spare form is to be preferred. 



Quality. — The quality is a very important factor in the choice 

 of a dairy cow. It is well determined by the condition of the 

 skin, hair, and bone. The skin should be soft, mellow, oily to 

 the touch, and comparatively thin. Care must be exercised in 

 respect to the thinness of the skin, as a thin, papery skin as such 

 is usually associated with weakness of constitution. The skin 

 lining the ear, as well as that in the region of the udder, inside 

 the thighs, and at the root of the tail, should be of a golden color 

 and the secretions abundant. The hair should be soft, silky, 

 and comparatively short. Black hairs will usually be harsher 

 than white hairs, even on the same animal. While many good 

 milking cows are loose in form, possessing an open conformation, 

 yet the bone should be dense and of fine texture. Dairy cows 

 possessed of a tight, heavy skin, coarse, harsh hair, and of a heavy, 

 rough, coarse bone are deficient in quality. 



Constitution. — Because of the peculiar conditions under 

 which most dairy cows are kept, the constitutional vigor de- 

 serves much attention. Vigor is estimated by the expression, 

 by the condition of the hair and hide, and by the chest capacity. 

 The expression of the eyes, ears, and head should be mild and 

 lively, and the animal should be on the alert. The chest ca- 

 pacity should be large, particularly across the floor. A good way 

 to note the width of the floor of the chest is to place the hand 

 along the chest between the front legs, as the width between 

 the front legs should be great. Narrowness between the front 

 legs is objectionable for the reason that it indicates lack of 

 constitution. 



Temperament. — The dairy cow should have a good tempera- 

 ment. Among cattle there are two divisions of temperament : 

 the nervous and lymphatic. In a cow of the former tempera- 

 ment, the nervous organization is strong and well developed, 

 while a cow of lymphatic temperament is sluggish in disposition 



