ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



the body, so that every part may be properly nourished according 

 to its needs. The part that makes the greatest demand will be 

 the one that is best supplied. The udder if rightly developed will 

 demand a large share and the portion that it receives will be indi- 

 cated by the size of the escutcheon, the milk veins, and milk 

 wells. 



In view of the important part that the digestive organs take 

 there is nothing wonderful that they should be large and spacious 

 for in a heavy milking cow they are called upon to prepare an 

 abundance of material from which the milk is made. 



The Nervous System. 



The nervous system of the dairy cow is of highest impor- 

 tance for good work. It is so often supposed that an animal 

 with a well developed nervous system is irritable and excitable. 

 A high nervous temperament means an animal that is full of 

 nerves and well developed. A nerve-full system would be a 

 better term than nervous system, which to many is very mis- 

 leading. The wonderful development of nerve energy permits 

 such an animal to do work far beyond what would be expected 

 of it from its physical appearance. In cattle we may divide 

 them into two classes, the nervous and the lymphatic tempera- 

 ments. The nervous temperament will be represented by the 

 dairy cow and the lymphatic temperament by the beef animal. 

 In these highly developed nervous animals they have not the 

 tendency to lay on fat like animals possessing the lymphatic 

 cemperament which is sluggish in disposition. Craig says: 

 " The animal of nervous temperament is one that is sensitive 

 and active, giving all regions that greatest vitality and all the 

 organs the greatest productive powers. The well developed 

 nervous system is indicated through the head, which should have 

 a wide forehead which shows intelligence and a well developed 

 brain. The eye should be prominent and full, not ' wild eyed,' 

 but clear, bright and mild. The nerve force is also indicated 

 by the spinal column, croup and tail. The spinal column should 



