FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL CONVENTION 169 



There are many advantages to be gained from knowing how 

 to judge a dair}^ cow for 'A good judge of dairy cattle makes 

 fewer mistakes in buying cattle; gets better prices for his sur- 

 plus stock ; selects and builds up a herd of cows of uniform size, 

 type, breed and quality; receives a higher and more uniform 

 production of milk and butter fat ; makes greater returns over 

 and above the cost of feed and care ; uses better sires and secures 

 better calves; has better success in feeding and showing cattle 

 at fairs and expositions; has greater satisfaction and pleasure 

 in owning and managing a dairy herd.' 



Illinois is coming to be a great dairy state. One of the 

 factors that will contribute most to her dairy advancement will 

 be the keeping of better cows. Good dairy cows are cows that 

 will economically convert feed into milk and butterfat. Al- 

 though it is not possible always to judge what a cow is capable 

 of producing by her conformation, yet there are certain physical 

 characteristics which are common to most high producing cows. 

 These characteristics include good size for her breed, a strong- 

 constitution and good health. She must have the capacity for 

 handling large amounts of feed and the tendency to convert the 

 feed into milk. Her capacity for producing large amounts of 

 milk and butterfat must be well developed and, last but not 

 least, she should have the power of producing offspring of her 

 own type. 



Taking up the question of constitution, some points which 

 should be considered are: good chest development and a large 

 girth. A moderately deep, broad chest and a well-developed 

 girth means plenty of capacity for such vital organs as the lungs 

 and heart. A dairy cow which shows poor body development in 

 the region of the girth is, at best, under a distinct handicap. 

 We expect from dairy cows years of service, which means that 

 they must be able physically to stand their work. 



Good general health is indicated by a loose, mellow, elastic 

 skin which lies close to the body and which is covered with fine 

 hair. Such characteristics are very indicative of a good diges- 

 tion and of a good blood circulation for carrying the food nutri- 

 ents to the various parts of the body for assimilation. Grasp 

 the skin of a cow and compare its handling qualities with that of 

 other cows. 



