A GOOD-GRADE COW.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1286, 15 November 1911, Page 10

A GOOD-GRADE COW.

HOW TO SELECT IT. The five points to bo observed in the selection of good milking cows from grade or native cows are, says llr. 0. C. Gregg, lecturer to the Nortn Dakota I'nrmers' Institutes, the prominent ones that will appear in nil of the milking forms of the cattle race without regard to breed. Wo can give these points under numerical heads.

First: Observe with care and note as a first point that tho cow wo arc now passing upon has a largo and ample sized body. Let this body extend from a point just back of the shoulder straight'down to the lower part, also lot it bo included between the line that we mentioned and a line that we call imaginary that will extend from the hook or hip bone straight down to tho lower part of the body again. It is an excellent thing if the depth of tho body is as strong or stronger ai this lest point as at any other point that we will call its depth". Sometimes this bodily capacity is composed to a certain extent in the length of the body. In either coso wo want a large, ample and capacious body. This large body is needed and must" appear, for the ample supply of milk must come from much food received and digested within the area that wo havo noted. This food content is there taken up into the blood. . With this evidence of a good supply of blood we have a good start in estimating that wo will havo a'good supply of milk. Second: Look with care behind the foro s"ho;ilder and observe if the backbone is prominent, and if that part of ths body which is called the crops is fcautil.y covered with flesh; this does not mean that the animal shall be in poor condition; it only means that the animal is not inclined to use this blood to make flesh out of it. . Beef cattle are full at this part of the body. We are selecting for milk. We want the ample supply of blood to go to the udder where the milk is made. Third.- Next go to the udder and see if it be reasonably large. Do not depend upon the eye to estimate the size. Manv very, good udders are contained largely within the body and their size is not apparent. You will see the fore-part of the udder be it largo or small; Take hold of the. skin between the hind-quarters. Up to the point where the. skin ceases to be, as loose as upon the other part of the body we can judge that the udder- extends. One can get a fair idea of the udder attachment to the body by drawing an imaginary line from tlie point -last mentioned to the front udder that we have seen: this will give one a distinct and positive line of attachment of the udder to. the body. If that line is long, then we have the clasping form. In such a form wp have nature's provision to receive that ample supply of blood that this good body will produce. ' Fourth: Now put the hand on what i_3 known as the milk vein which extends from the udder along the lower part of the body to both sides; at the end of this vein will bo found a hole through the body wall. This hole should be large enough to tnko tho. end of-an average index finger; by pressing agaim't the wall of the body for the space of about two inches in a varying direction a second hole may be found that will be about the size of a lead poncil. Look for th'eso holes on both sides of the body. These' holes through the body are for the lctnrn of the veins which take tho blood to a very gr;at extent from the wider. Here we havo an .absolute fact which indicates that the blood. makes its circuit through the' ndder, or gland, where the milk is made. We can safely reason that from this abundance of blood wo shall have an abundance of milk. Fifth: Last of all look end see if the eye of the animal is largo and full. This largeness of the eye indicates a strong nerve system. Digestion and milk secretion is tho work of the nerve system. The nerve system is the power that drives this animal milk mackim!. These five points may bo called five decrees in cattle judging. Wo add a sixth. Tlse the scales and tho Babcock test, and the cow has been brought to a sure cattle judgment. Any cow that will verify the six points will prove to bo a good milker, unless she has been ruined by bad handling or bad feeding.