488 
Observations on the foregoing Paper. 
Governor Hartranft of Pennsylvania, to test the system, and 
whether its reliability would recommend it for popular use. 
Their report of the examination of two hundred cows of various 
breeds shows a successful statement of their qualities to about 
ninety per cent. The mode of proceeding was to examine the 
cow, and make notes of her points as to quantity, quality, and 
time of milking. This was independent of the owner, and the 
record was kept by the secretary. A similar statement from the 
owner, who knew, of course, exactly what his cows would do, 
and generally made beforehand, was afterward handed to the 
secretary of the commission, who transcribed the two statements 
ready for publication in parallel columns ; these statements 
were then placed with the originals before the owners, who 
compared them, and certified to their correctness as originally 
taken down, and they were ready for publication. This plan 
prevented any collusion, or any chance of altering to assimilate 
the two statements. The examinations were made only by the 
escutcheons, and no statements were allowed to be made by any 
one to the Commission, until after their judgment and record 
had been made. Some of the cows were blanketed, so that 
nothing more was shown than is to be seen in the drawings 
illustrating this article ; this was done in the presence of a 
committee appointed for the purpose of seeing whether the 
commission did examine only by the escutcheon ; though that 
was asking more of even experts than Guenon claims to be able 
to do, or should be done. 
XVIII. — Observations on the foregoing Paper. By G. W. Baker, 
of Luton Hoo Park Farm. 
[A Letter to the Editor.] 
Dear Sir, 
I HAVE felt very great pleasure in reading through the 
treatise on Guenon's System of selecting Cows by the Escutcheon 
that you have been good enough to forward to me, with a 
request that I would express an opinion on the subject. I 
therefore beg to say that I consider it of the utmost importance, 
particularly at the present time, when agriculture is straining 
every nerve to keep its head above water, and the produce of 
the dairy is becoming of so much importance not only to the 
farmer, but to the community at large; I have therefore jotted 
down some of the points that are most essential in an animal 
that is intended to take a useful position for dairy purposes ; 
and 1 think it may be safely said that any cow used lor such a 
