THE DAIRY.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1579, 17 August 1882, Page 2

THE DAIRY.

Guen t on\s System.— The Escutcheon. — His Life and Trial Before the Agricultural Society ov Bordeaux.

Error is propagated with the rapidity of lightning ; before it every obstacle disappears, and popular favour seems to welcome it. Truth, on the contrary, is received with indifference, often even with doubt, suspicion and distrust. Indeed, how often have we not seen the author of a discovery which, having been accepted and realised, ought to have advanced the public good and increased the general welfare, come into contact with the hatred, the ignorance, and the envy, and thus become the laughter, of fools and the jest of the wise. To some the inventor seemed without good sense ; to others an ignoramus. Too feeble to struggle against all, he died brokenhearted, and left to his powerful antagonists fhe glory of having, perhaps for ages, buried his discovery, and to those who bring to perfection cities and fields the deprivation of a good up to that time unknown. So thought Guenon, He says :—lf: — If I should reach after twelve years of incessant struggles, to cause the truth to appear to "the eyes of all, I should have nothing more to desire. For nearly twelve years since I have given my method to the public through a first edition of my "Treatise on Milch Cows," the servants and the practitioners have been greatly prepossessed with it. When they have seen me make a succes- | ful application before them of my system by a single inspection of animals which I 1 saw for the first time, they have expressed a lively surprise. In the vegetable kingdom skilful nurserymen have distinguished more than eighty different orders of pears of summer, of autumn and of winter ; each of these orders has its distinctive characters, as many for the shape and taste of "the fruit as for the time of ripening. Now Guenon's first studies having been directed as a gardener, it naturally prepared him for the work of classifying the bovine race by characteristic signs which had never before him been tried theoretically or practically. Monsieur Francois Guenon, husbandman of Libourne, in France, was the son of a gardener and followed for some time his ancestors* trade. He seems to have had a mind above those in his position. He says himself, he was of an observant turn of mind, fond of comparing things, and deducing consequences from what he learned by observation and comparison, particulary from the Book of Nature. Young, ardent, and healthy, with the vivacity of his race, a cool head, great determination, firmness of character, and a well-balanced mind, he was enabled to override all obstacles, he felt himself destined for better things than those of a gardener's life would insure him. , What wonder then that his eye was keen to see, his mind to grasp and analyze any new turn of thought that , chance might throw in his way. Like most self-made men he set himself to work to improve himself. He studied the works of the best writers on botany and agriculture ; and applied his knowledge by following up all the ramifications of the vegetable kingdom, and 'studied their external signs, that distinguish the different sorts, and ascertain their qualities and produc-^ tiveness. When young Guenon was faboufc fourteen, years of| r age,| .he? ■yrould drive bis 'cow to graze. "Now in some, I parts o£ prance fencing 'is, very/ s/Mirce,, and the cattle of a neighborhood have to ' be herded by!theTyonn£erp'ofctiori'of each or several families. Such companionship ' - witbitheiE stock make&S.the QwhersTfond of them, and they are r often treated as; pets and become very docile. Guenon H was 1 'VftyifoAd* 'if*- his#cbH/&aC&>ald jidentify^her t among, anyjnjtjnber. J She . -was!, a go.od milker. .One , day. he ' was. , scratching * hisi old comganiori/' when" he ; .n6^icqdjtha^,a|so,rt, pfj bran. or, t dandraff detaeh~e<f iraelf in cdnsidefable^uarititieSj !frqm .cerfaiu* " spots^ on f ,%!■„' hiud~<parsJ, ,-greWv-in .opposite^djyejfaojaf spots >

blance they oftenj|b'ear t^the^w«rded ears or heads of tgh6af or ryei \ Tnif first* 1 attracted Guenou's attention, and having heard his grandfater once say that it was probable that there were external marks ,onjcovgB, whereby their good qualities or their" defects might be known — just as one ju'dgel the -vital force of a plant and its qualities by its leaves and lines in its skin. Reflecting on tins subject Guenon arrived at the conclusion that if in the Vegetable kingdom there exists external signs, whereby the good and the bad qualities- of- a- plant, can .be^positively,. known, there "ought to exist in the animal or its kingdom, also? marks whereby s we may judge, by inspecting ad animal, * of its. qualities, good and bad, and he thought he" Had. discovered one 'oftliese* signs. He sought the - bearded ears or quirls and scratched those spots in quest of dandruff, the abundance or scarcity of this being what first .engagtfdf his attention. Every new cow brought into* the common herd was compared by him with his own as a (standard and her superiority, equality, or inferiority, determined in his own mind. In the course; of the comparisons thus instituted by him' with reference to' the dandruff alone which was at first the only, thing that governed him, he had occasion to remark that great diversities existed among cows in respect to the shape of, the quirls, which produced the dandruff. This suggested a new train of reflection and observation, which,., resulted Jn his becoming convinced "that these' shapes' were ] the signs' by which to distinguish cows and to know the good and bad qualities of every individual among them. With his mind keenly alive to the pursuit of his investigations, he soon perceived the .difference in the shape of these quirls or marks in the hair. When Guenon saw any cow with the, same escutcheon as his.own had, he would eagerly and closely question the owner, and then make hi 3 comparisons and deductions. When he would .ask of the owner such questions, directed by his knowledge of the cow's marks, the owner would stare, and think how the lad could know so well of his cow. And then his secret exultation when 'the answer showed him that he had judged aright. From his first step of discovering the dandruff, its 'scarcity, or abundance, to his noticing the great diversity existing among cows, as to the shape of the quirls, and being convinced these shapes were the signs by which to distinguish cows, and then to make sure that the same mark might always be relied upon as a positive sign of the same perfection or defect, were all steps in the discovery that engrossed his whole mind. He gave up his trade, travelled about, visiting cattle markets, fairs,- and stables. Conversing : Hiuli » (iros^jjjtip^njpg all whom he could ; fixing the results in his mind and getting the fclassification shaped out. He talked jwith ' farmers, dealers, and veterinary- meu, ~ascei;tain,ed. 5 their modes of judging of the points of an animal, and found thdy 'were all by their own favourite signs and marks. One> looked to the udder, the horns, the hide, or the shape j others to the hair, the veins, or something else ; but none judged by the signs which he had found out ; all were uncertain. The most the best judges could do would be to guess rightly, perhaps, three times out of five, but none could tell how long a cow would milk. Perfecting his judgment he would visit the, same places and the same cows several times in a year to see how nature was operating upon the animals, and thoir changes of character in the different periods of gestation, their treatment and food. Of course, he soon began to put his theories to practical value, and he dealt in cattle on his own account. This brought before him cattle from Holland, Switzeland, Brittany, and other countries. This improved his opportunities by proving to him that, no matter what country gave them birth, all individuals possessing the same marks belonged to the same class and the same ' order ; in short, that nature acted through uniform laws. Variations of course would arise, from crossing two animals with different escutcheons, from some defect in marking at the birth, from lack of developement, or from those freaks that nature' sometimes plays. They always prove stumbling blocks in forming the judgment on some animals, and furnish texts, to the opponents of the system. As Guenon continued his examinations, he found that his classes did not afford a place for all animals, or rather that there were occasionally' to be found cows whose escutcheons while apparently belonging to one of these classes, had at the .same time, certain distinguished features which he styled imperfect escutcheons. ,Of these I will speak of further on. In 1822, Guenon seems to have first reduced his system to a classified basis, and from that time until 1828 he appears to have given it much of his time and attention. Having, as he deemed, sufficiently arranged and tested his system, he, in 1828, applied to the Academy of Bordeaux for a public test of the correctness of his mode of judging of cows and their milking value. The following, from the proceedings of the Academy, shows that Guenon did not make his, system common property. The minutes of the' Academy, under date of June 3rd, 1828, .contains the .following record :— " Mr Francis Guenon, of Libourne, possessor of a method which he deems, infallible for "judging, by . mere visual examination, of the goodness of milch cows, aud the qnantity of milk which each can yield, has solicited s th'e Academy to cause the efficaciousness of this method to be tested by repeated experiments. The case presented by this request was one of a secret method of judging, which, the posse,ssor was not willing to reveal. On the other hand it seemed difficult to admit that the external sign, whatever it might be by which Mr Guenon judges, could always bear a proportional relation to the quality and quantity of milk yielded by a cow. Nevertheless the academy deemed it proper to appoint a committee charged with making the examination. Trials have been made with care, and under precautions necessary for precluding all collusion. The cows used for the purpose belonged to three different herds, and amounted to thirty in number, and ' the result has been to, establish, to the satisfaction of the committee, that Mr Guenon-really possesses great,sagacity iv this lirie. ' So' long, * however, as his method shall be kept secret, it cannot bo judged of nor rewarded by the Academy. Governed 'by 1 these ' considerations the Academy, having ascertained .from Mr Guenon that he is willing to 'submit to every test that mtyy be proposed, and to disclose his secret upon receiving a just, indemnity, has referred him to', the prefect, and has engaged to recommend him ,to the f favorable notice of .that magistrate, who'is We'r djjspp&d^;j>rom6te a'UHhat tends to improvle^'it." Prom 1822 io 1827 ityWOuld "seem that Guenon per.feetied and studied iiis System, but it does 'nBi"s'eeih' t 'to' i h'£ve !jf come •'promptly before • the public until the Agricultural ' Society of ; took ,upqpy itsel^^&ref ill investigation of the !wjiol^S»y^tem. jFrpm.the detailed-report of thi||sm||istee' ' fappointtedj^X* thi? isociety, knowle4ge:of,Gujßnpn, w.e^to^/'yhe, following as illustrating not bniy'the'results reached byjthem, r but also the manner of conducting examination i-±-}* Jiiverv. .cow, subjected to^examimitipn, was jjsgpw* Wd i xM had! iq say in^regard^to^he^wal^ taken* ~commitfee,j,"-an& ii . immaJii^lyv^aftlrn

quesnonsfipft to him aa would tend x^^cpjjppK or disprove the jodgnieK't^. pronounced by Mr Gaenon. In this way we have examined in a most careful manner — note being taken of every fact and every observation made by any one present — upward of sixty cows and heifers, and we are bound to declare that every statement made by Mr Guenon, with respect to fach of them, whether it regarded the quantity of milk, or the time duij^gfwfficjh^the^cow continued to give milk .afjbsr being got with . calf, QtLfinally.^theJauaiity^f Jhejnilkjw_ being more or" less creamy or serous, were confirmed^ andr its accuracy iestab lished. i-The onlyxdiscrepanciesfwhich occurred, were some slight, differences. in Tegard'BTibrquaiftr^oli^Krbiitth^sV^ we afterwards 1 fully satisfied* -ourselves were, caused entirely by the food of the animal • being; more, or. leap abundant.The 'result ! df this 'first t«st 'seems 1 coiy elusive, but they acquire new /( force from *~ those of a second trial in which the method was f subjected «tfo/ another test through Mr Guenon and his brother. Your committee availing < themselves of the presence of the latter, caused the s*me cows to be examined by the two brothers, but separately, so that,af;ter^a. cow had been inspected and her qualities £ as indicated'by the^signsiin^questioq &ad^ been, pronounced upon by one 01 theC brothers/ he was made to I ' withdraw-;/ then the other, brother, who, had be,en kept aloof, was called up, and desired s td state the qualities of the same animal. This mode of proceedure could not fail to give rise to cbntradiction, even > between the two brothers, unless their method was •& positive, a,nd (Sure one* j aW^bII gentlemen we must-say > it, this lastteac, was absolutely decisive. Not only did the judgmept of the two brothers accord perfectly together, but they were in per* . feet accordance also with all^ that was said 6y the proprietorsftn 'regard ifo the qualities, good or bad,- of- every animal subject to this <■ ' " "" hy Te Awamutu, XugUBtH6tfi*, 1882. {To be continued,)