44 TRBfATlSE ON MILCH COWS. 



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torn, to drive our only Cow to the grazing ground. 1 was very fond of her, and 

 could have identified her among ever so many. One day, as I was whiling away ', 

 the time in cleaning and scratching my poor old companion, I noticed that a sort ' 

 of hran or dandruf detached itself in considerable quantities from certain spots on 

 her hind parts, formed by the meeting of the hair, as it grew in opposite direc- 

 tions ; which spots I have since called ears, from the resemblance they often bear 

 to the bearded ears or heads of wheat or rye.* This fact attracted my attention, ) 

 and I recollected having heard one of my grandfathers say that it was probable I 

 there 'were external marks on Cows, whereby their good qualities or their defects .; 

 might be known — just as we judge of the vital force of a plant and its qualities I 

 by means of its leaves and the lines on its skin. My own thoughts now took ( 

 this turn. Reflecting on the subject, I arrived at the conclusion that if, in the s 

 vegetable kingdom, there exist external signs, whereby the good and the bad ' 

 qualities of a plant can be positively known, there ought to exist in the animal >' 

 kingdom, also,,;marks whereby wFliiay judge, by inspectiig ;an animal, of its 

 qualities, good and bad ; and I thought that I had discovered one of these signs. 



All this, however, was as yet but mere speculation — a brilliant theory, which v 

 experience might belie : it was necessaryjo interrogate Nature. The Cow which i 

 I tended was a good milker. I have already said that I knew her perfectly. I \ 

 examined other Cows within my reach, to see if I should find the same signs in ; 

 them. I sought for the bearded eors (y»iri*),'and scratched those spots in quest \ 

 of dandruf; the abundance or the scarcity of this being what first engaged my 

 attention; Every newr Cow was cbnipared/witliViny bwna.s a standard, and her ' 

 superiority, equality or inferiority determined in my own mind. 

 ■ ' From' this momeilt I fepare'd nothing to' follo\v''ap 'Bay observations ; no fatigue; 

 was too great for me ; I have often traveled seVeril leagues in ot'det to examine . 

 a single Cow. Whativas my exultation when, after Iliad formed my judgment; 

 of a CoW, the queSti6^s with'Whieh I faelaboi'ed her bwrirtljtought forth ansW^s ■ 

 that corroborated its accuracy ! How'bfteti= has it happened that people were 

 convinced that the animal wKoise qualities 'I Was pronouncing Upon must have; 

 been previously knoVn to itieT My secret was the cause of astonishment to ma- 

 ny ; 1 took good care to keiep it fd myself. , 



In the course of the cOttip'aTiScMis' thus instituted by me, with reference to the 

 dandruf alone, which Was at first the only th&g'that goveteed me, I had occasion 

 to remark that |[reat divei-sities existed ahibrig Cows", in respect to the shape of 

 the bearded eaVs (yMt'rts) \vhich prbdUc'ed the "dandruf This suggested anew 

 train' of reflections and observations, which resulted iti rny becoming con- 

 vinced that these shapes we)-e 'the'sigiiS by whifch to distfeguish Cow^,' dnd tV 

 Ichow the good and bad qiralitieS of every in'divldiial atiiong them. From thk' 

 mbrhent my discovery was made ; biit it was fteti'essary' to digest it into a feystetr " 

 ■i^atedlre all, to establish its accuracy in all i'ts pap'fs; by prbofs which should car- 

 ry my own conviction into the minds of othetSV' It "Was^heife ihat all mjf courage 

 Bndperseverahce'was put'ia-i?eqtiis!tion. ' ■' = r*'. : : • '•■ ■ , 



It did not suflice to have'diScovgredsi^S' that were characteristic of differetii 

 sorts of Cows; it wa& lieces'saiTr to make sure that the same mark miglit alwajfe:. 

 be relied upon as a positive atid certain sign of the Same perfection oi: defect;^ , 



' *, These niiarka arc,inBdniapart8'Ofoiir'counti7,.^led9U%*2«. Thieir occuiTcncc in liorses (particiilai-lj 

 piitb^neckfiivderXlieintuit^ igf^yeUknown tobe a sign of ,&l9Qt2. Thisris a remarJEable coinpidenct; : .and 

 it seems far fi-om iraptabable *hat the discoveiy made'by the'autbor'in regar4 tQ neat cattle will lead to sun- 

 liar diSc'TCriei I'especting other idofti^stio animals. ' .'j.JiW ' ' > ■'I [Amer^tcan Tranilaiif^i' 



