Guenon’s Mode of Examining Miith Cows. 
<e In the November No. you speak of Guenon’s mode 
of examining cows, as something that has been published 
in the Cultivator—if so, I have failed in finding it, and 
wish it might be published again. Respectfully yours, 
John Butlek. Lisle, Broome Co., JV*. Y., Jan., ’53,” 
We believe that a notice only of t,his method of de¬ 
termining by external examination the value of cows, has 
ever been published in the Cultivator. To give even an 
outline of the minute directions of Guenon, would re¬ 
quire more space than we could devote to the, subject— 
besides which, it is believed by many that he has gone 
into a minuteness of detail beyond the practicability of 
clear and distinct actual examination by those who have 
not devoted years to the subject. 
But in order to give a single glance at the leading prin¬ 
ciple of his mode, we furnish the accompanying figures in 
illustration. Guenon’s chief rule consists in the breadth 
of the “ escutcheon,” or space immediately behind the 
milk bag and contiguous parts,contained within the boun¬ 
dary lines, formed by- the meeting of hair growing in op¬ 
posite directions. The hair on the escutcheon grows 
upwards and meets with the hair on the other parts. In 
the very best cows, or those which give the greatest 
quantity of milk, and also continue in milk a long 
time, or the year round, the escutcheon is very broad, 
and extends upwards to the root of the tail, as shown 
in Fig. 1. Such animals are very rare, and in ordinary 
Fig. 1. 
instances, and under good feeding and keeping, will 
yield about six gallons of milk per day. In less perfect 
animals, the escutcheon will be narrower, and frequently 
will extend only part way to the tail, and so in different 
cows diminishing in breadth until it reaches the medium, 
which is found to exist in the greatest number by far, of 
all milch cows. In poor milkers, it is quite small, as in 
Fig. 2; it varies also considerably in shape, but the same 
general rule applies to all shapes, namely, that the urea 
of this escutcheon is an accurate indication of the amount 
of milk any .cow will give. Guenon figures and des¬ 
cribes no less than seventy-two different forms and sizes 
of escutcheons, all exemplifying this general rule, with 
a few exceptions, which he states, but which we canno't 
here point out, and all indicating with much accuracy 
the quantity of milk given, its quality and duration. 
Those who wish to go into a minute examination of the 
subject, will do well to procure Guenon’s book, which is 
Fig. 2. 
doubtless to be had at the principal agricultural book 
stores. . 
Several dairymen w r ho have given some attention to 
this method, inform us that in general it is valuable and 
reliable. The late E. Phinney of Massachusetts, gave 
it a thorough examination and test, but he did not find 
it infallible, as there were some excellent milkers that 
had no escutcheons whatever. But in all cases where. 
this mark was developed at all, it was found to be “ a 
very sure indication,” and proved a most valuable aid 
in the selection of cows and heifers for the dairy—the 
more valuable, because as well developed in the calf as 
in the fully grown cow. 
Profits of Feeding Cattle. 
As your paper is designed to meet the wants of prac¬ 
tical farmers, in order that this large and increasing class 
of our population may be profited, it is necessary that 
they furnish such information as may be in their pos¬ 
session, for the benefit of others. Let every cultivator 
of the soil bear in mind, that in a joint stock concern 
of this nature, every one must, or should, in this way, 
put in his share of the capital, so as to enable every 
share-holder, (or reader of an agricultural paper,) to 
receive a dividend weekly or monthly, as the case may 
be. And as all holders of claims against monied com¬ 
panies, promptly present their demands for payment, so 
let all holders of difficulties in agricultural affairs, pre¬ 
sent them for solution. In this way may an interest in 
the pages of an agricultural paper be kept up, and in¬ 
formation be scattered broadcast over our beloved coun¬ 
try. 
In accordance with these views, allow me to make a 
statement in regard to feeding cattle. It has been a 
common practice in this section, either to feed our cull 
cows of the dairy in the fall of the year for beef, or sell 
to speculators at a low figure; and, in the absence of 
any direct and certain knowledge of the results, it has 
generally been supposed to be a losing process. An oc¬ 
casional drouth finds us over stocked with store cattle,and 
in a section where dairying forms an important branch 
of business, a large number of oows become yearly su¬ 
perannuated. The inquiry, then, what we shall do with 
the surplus, and whether we can profitably convert it 
into beef, becomes deeply interesting to every man who 
keeps even one cow. 
August 1, 1852, I dried three cows selected from that 
part of the herd which is not up to the merchant’s rule 
of small profits, &e. October 1, they were offered at 
$7.00 per head, but no purchaser was found at that low 
figure, although they were in good keeping condition. 
