ILLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 97 



be large and vertebrae far apart and prominent, for this column 

 is the trunk through which the nerves are distributed to the many 

 organs of the body. The large croup or tail head, are also indi- 

 cations of a well developed spinal cord. 



Milk Secreting and Circulatory System. 



The milk secreting system, which is shown by the udder, 

 milk veins, and wells, is of no less importance because it is 

 mentioned last. The udder is the only organ in the body from 

 which milk is elaborated and it is this complicated organ that 

 is capable of secreting milk from the blood. The udder should 

 not be too large, but in proportion to the cow's ability to fill it. 

 Perhaps, the large udder is not always a measure of productive- 

 ness, yet. I consider it a very important part of the dairy cow. 

 It is not the large, pendulent and fleshy udder that counts, but 

 the one with hind quarters full and square, and extending high 

 between the hind legs. The front quarters full and square and 

 extending well forward. The udder should be plastic, pliable 

 and lay in folds when it is empty. The teats should be large and 

 evenly placed. The teats in themselves have nothing to do with 

 increasing the flow of milk, but the average person will do 

 cleaner and better milking with the cow that has good sized 

 teats. This is a factor not to be ignored when the dairymen 

 have to depend largely on hired help. 



The milk veins should be large and branching, for they 

 indicate the supply of blood to the udder, especially when the 

 cow is fresh. It is probably better to depend more upon the 

 number and size of milk wells than upon the veins which are 

 sometimes misleading in size on account of the thickening of the 

 walls of the vein. 



On account of these four active centers the domestic animal 

 has changed her form and she tends to become wedge shape 

 and spare and angular. Perhaps it is not neces^'rv for a dairy 

 cow to become this shape, but the majority of them are, and 

 it is plain that this form is the result of the kind of labor that 



