JUDGING THE DAIRY COW IN SCHOOLS. 9 
Side wedge : The side wedge is best observed by standing 30 feet 
or more from the cow and to her side. The lines of this wedge are 
the top and bottom lines of the cow. The point of the wedge is at 
the nose and the wide part at the flank. This wedge is most com- 
monly defective on account of the top line not being straight. This 
may be caused by a sway back, a drooping rump, or a neck which is 
set at an angle to the back. A sway back or a sloping rump is much 
more serious than a neck which forms an angle with the backbone. 
Lack of depth in the flank is a serious defect in the side wedge 
of a dairy cow and is usually accompanied with lack of capacity in 
the barrel and faulty mammary development. The angle of all 
wedges should be as wide as possible. The bottom line of the cow, 
forming one side of this wedge, can not be expected to be straight in 
the same sense that the top line is straight. There will be depressions 
and irregularities, but the general outline of the wedge should be 
present. The lower line will begin at the nose, touch at the brisket, 
follow the lower line of the stomach, and touch the lowest point in 
the udder. 
Top wedge : The point of the top wedge is at the withers, with the 
lines drawn on either side between the point of the withers and the 
hip bones. The plane of the wedge is horizontal, while those of the 
side and front wedges are perpendicular. This wedge is defective 
when the withers are not sharp, the lines not straight, or the hip 
bones not wide enough apart. The lines are not straight when the 
ribs are not well sprung or when the loins are weak. 
Front wedge : The point of the front wedge is at the withers. The 
lines follow the shoulder blades, the wide part being at the junction 
of the shoulder blades and the forelegs. The wedge shape seems 
to have a direct relation to dairy production in the dairy cow, but 
inasmuch as this relation in most cases is in connection with indi- 
vidual organs it will come up under a detailed discussion of the parts. 
Size : Other things being equal, the larger an animal, the better. 
Generally size and quality are not closely correlated and the dairy- 
man is led to choose a happy medium. It is true, however, that an 
undersized animal is undesirable even though it possesses extreme 
quality. The aim should be to obtain all the size possible with good 
quality. 
Quality. — Quality is indicated by a thin, loose, pliable skin; 
medium-sized, clean, closely knit bones, and firm, clean, muscular 
tissue (fig. 6). The mucous membranes are the extension of the 
external skin; coarseness - in the hide indicates the same condition 
in the mucous membrane. The membranes of the stomach and 
intestines are active agents in the digestion and assimilation of the 
feed. Experience and observation show that coarseness or stiffness 
in the skin is likely to be associated with poor digestive and assimi- 
56862°— Bull. 434—16 2 
