FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL CONVENTION 141 



monia, garget, contagious abortion and other diseases, it is 

 al^soliitely necessary that all indications of rugged constitution 

 be well developed. 



In my travels from coast to coast and from Canada to the 

 Gulf, very seldom that more than one or two very small win- 

 dows are to be seen even in great, magnificent farm barns that 

 have been built at great expense. It should be realized that 

 whenever barns are built and boarded up tight without windows 

 or fresh air ducts, the light, sunshine and fresh air, which cost 

 nothing and are absolutely essential to maintain the cow's health 

 and make it possible for her to do her best work, are shut out. 



The next point for consideration is capacity. Beginning 

 again at the head, you will notice on this cow the extremely 

 large mouth. Any animal with a large mouth is a good feeder. 

 I have never seen an animal with a small mouth that was a good 

 feeder. Just as truly as it is necessary for a cow to consume 

 large amounts of food in order to prove herself profitable, it is 

 necessary that her mouth be well distended and large. Passing 

 back, the body should be long from the shoulders to the hip 

 bone. The ribs should be well sprung and deep, giving dimen- 

 sions for a large capacity or storage room, namely, length, 

 breadth and depth. Size of barrel is an indication of the amount 

 of food that the cow can consume at one time, but with this 

 consideration should also be considered the degree of thorough- 

 ness with which the cow digests and assimilates her food. Any 

 portion of the food which passes off undigested is wasted, and 

 worse than wasted, because it taxes the cow's digestive apparatus 

 without producing any gain. The strength and power of a cow's 

 digestive apparatus is indicated to a large degree by the char- 

 acter of the hide and hair. 



You have all noticed in the show rings the judge lift up 

 the hide and hair with his hand. It is impossible for him to look 

 into the cow and determine the character of her digestive sys- 

 tem, but he can turn his face away and by the touch or handling 

 qualities of the hide anrl hair there is conveyed to him by his 

 sense of touch as inrlicatcd by the hide and hair the condition 

 of the inner and vital organs of the cow. In other words, the 



