THE DAIRY.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1582, 24 August 1882, Page 4

THE DAIRY.

Guknon's System.— 'Che Escutcheon. — Hrs.'Lifra akd Trial Bekoiik tub AoRicoLTPRAii Society of Bordeaux.

(Continued.) '

On the 26th of May, 1837, a similar test was made by the Agricultural Society of Aurillac, 'whose committee, in their report, use the following language :— " Each cow was examined separately by M. (fgerion, who wrote his notes upon her, j and deliyered the paper closed to one of us. Immediately after, another member of the committee questioned the owner of the cow, or the person in charge of her ih' regard to her daily yield of milk, its qsafiiy,sand the time during which she continued to give milk after being got with' calf. The answers were taken down in writings and then compared with the riotes'iwritten by M. Guenon. They were generally found to accord, and proved to the satisfaction of your committee and of every one present, all of whom attended With lively interest to these proceedings, that Monsieur Guenon possesses great sagacity in judging cattle, and that his method rests upon a sure foundation." The Bordeaux committee added:— "To the proprietors and to the lookers on, all thid was very surprising, for the examinations wel-e as quickly ivade as the results were certain. As to ourselves to whom the method was no longer a secret, it was with renewed interest and astonishment that we viewed the accuracy of the results. This system we do not fear to say is infallible. We only regretted the whole society was not present." The committee further reported that Mr Guenon had, after more than twenty years' observations and researches, discovered ceitnin natural and positive signs that were proof against all error, while the writers and piofessors who have particularly occupied themselves with the bovine race can ouly indicate some vague signs for judging of the fitness of cows for secreting milk. That this method is valuable, whether it tells the yield of milk only or indicates the improvement of breeds, which arc liable to deterioration from mismanagement in crossing, and that it is applicable not to full grown animals alone, but also to calves at as early an age as three months. Thus it affords a sure means of forming a judgmen of full-grown animals about which we might be misled on account of their form and their parentage, and secures the improvement of herds by enabling us to dispose of those calves which will not re'p&y the cost of rearing them. We shall thus no longer rear calves at great expense for two or three years that should have been consigned to the butchei, nor sell calves that would pay best to rear. If this system is> pursued only cows and bulls of best quality will be kept, and in a very few years great will be the improvement of our herds, ami largely increased the cheapest and best ot all foods, milk ; and the production of butter and cheese. The committee of the Agricultural Society of Bordeaux, therefore, decreed Monsieur Francis Guenon a gold medal, made him a member of the society, ordered fifty copies of hia work, and distributed one thousand copies of their full report among the agricultural societies of France, The next public test Mr Guonon submitted his system to, was that by the Agiicultural Society of Auvillae, and that society reported that Mr Guenon examined the herd of their president, of one hundred cows, from which were selected, designedly, the best, the moderately good, and tho most indifferent ot the establishment. Upon eaoh Mr Guenon pronounced with precision, and his decisions corresponded almost invariably with the statements of the persons in charge. The only variations weie very slight ones, in legard to the quantity given. But this herd was fed unusually high, and Guenon was totally unaccustomed to the usages of the country in feeding cattle, and this caused him to pronounce the yield a little less than it really was.. A proof ot his system, for he declares the yield will \aiy according to the feed and management, which all obscivant furmci-s know to be the ease. Mr Guenon examined of the cows a second time, and also the calves, and the. calves he aligned to tio first oirfers the cow heuls said weie fiom their best cows, that gave a great denl of milk. The notes of his rccxammation corresponded exactly with his lust statements. The committee, therefore, awarded Mr Guenon a gold medal, made him a corresponding member, subscribed for twenty-five copies of his book for each of the sub-societies, and di-sfciibuted their repoit through all the agiicultural channels of France with them testimonials, the highest that could be procured in France, Mr Guenon went on with the publication ot his book, which had .a wide circulation in c\ciy d-naitmeut of Kijiicp. T have mjvlt read this French edition of Gueimns on milch cows, but tound it \ery diU'u nit to understand his technical terms. Thib book of Guenon has now been li.mslated into many languages besides ons, Guenon was finally giautcd a, pension for life of three thousand francs a year by the French Government, i.r., m our money about one hundred and twenty-five pounds a year, after tho Xational Assembly's Committee on agi "culture had given the system <i thoi(;u. r h test. In the presence of fifty of the most eminent agriculturists, Mr Guenon made his examinations, and judged eonectly of all but one of the quantity, of .ill but one of the time, and of all of the quality ; and the committee repoi ted the lesults were altogether conclusive and that his discovery had reached to tho dignity of a science. They also declared the production of milk in Fi.mie might be increased by several millions of pints daily, and that the abundance and quality of milk in the dams must contribute largely to the impiovement of the progeny. They voted him the pension, and invited him to deliver lectures in the different veterinary, agricultural, and normal schools of the kingdom, and before the different agricultural societies, as "the speediest and best means of spreading the knowledge of this discovery," and " to repair the time lost in ridicule, doubt, or indiffeienee. the inevitable preface to all undertakings beneficial to humanity." In the foregoing account of Mr Fi a net's Guenon, it will be seen that by his indomitable perseverauce in perfecting his system or method he raised himself from the ranks of a poor gardener's boy to the position of a great benefact >r, and was presented with various mi dais and decorations, and a large .sum of money voted to him. Surely, such a brilliant position must have been won entirely by merir, for he had neither means nor influence to advance him into notice. Guenon 's next important examination ......bsfore .the world was in America, although in the meantime Ik* was not idle, ' but Still more perfecting his system in " travelling in England and on the ContiI nent. In the year 1878 the State | Board of Pennsylvania, United StateB f America, at their annual meeting held ""January 2nd, resolved, "That the presi- • dent of- the board (His Excellency l r .Governor John F. Hartran ft) be.authorpi&d' and requested to appoint a-com-g^riittee of experts, Who shall inquire into upon' the, reliability of the y|Blienbn,-or e3cutcheon theory foivaelecfc- ; /said , report to be Wmgife* to the secretary #f the board on or .&ssqt$ i the lot of November next;" In'

accordance with this request, His Excellency, Governor Hartrnntt, issue^ the following commission, headed "Counhonwcalth of Pennsylvania." Executive Chamber, Hamburg, Apiil 24th, 1878. - To George Blight, Esq., of the city of Philadelphia; Chalkley Harvey, Esq.. of the county of Delaware ; and Willis P. Hasard, Esq , of the county of Chester :—Gentlemen,—l: — Gentlemen,— I have the honour to inform you that you have been duly appointed a committee by the State board of agriculture to investigate and test " The Guenon Milk Escutcheon Theory," aud report the result to the secretary of said board.— (Signed) Jno. F. Hartraiift. Governor and president of board. The Commission answered His Excellency as follows :— To the Honorable Jno. F. Harfcinft, Governor and president of the Board of Agriculture : Your Excellency ; In compliance with the Commission tendered us, we beg leave most respectfully to leport that we have visited a number of herds, and have examined two hundred cows, the result of which is herewith submitted. Having performed to the best of our ability the duty assigned to us, we beg leave to be discharged from further consideration of the question. (Signed) Rebpectfully Yours, George Blight, Philadelphia ; Chalkey Harvey, Chad's Ford ; Willis P. Hasard, Westchestcr.— The Pennsylvania Guenon Commission having been appointed " to investigate and test the Guenon, or milk Escutcheon theory, and report the result thereof," respeciully report that that they have examined two hundred cows, heifers, and bulls, and the result of their examinations has been to convince themselves and others, of the merits of the system, of its exceeding value to the practical fai mer ; and they believe that if generally followed for twenty years, the value of the neat cattle of the >tate would be increased vastly, the amount of milk, butter, and cheese produced would oe muck larger, and the quality of articles better, while the quality of meat would be impioved. Having believed in and practised the system for many years, they would add that their recent extended and careful examinations and contact with a number of owners of all grades of stock, has tended to confirm them more thoroughly in their belief. As an adjunct to previous knowledge to assist purchasers or breeders of cattle in getting or raising the best and weeding out the poorest, they think it is worthy of being acquired by every farmer. And they would recommend their fellowfarmers not to be dismayed at the apparent difficulties to be surmounted in obtaining a knowledge of the first four oiders of each class, aud a few other points, to practically apply it, as all animals below those grades are not worthy of being kept. Any intelligent man can readily master the system, and soon become proficient in it by practice. This knowlege applied with the tests heretofoic usually used, will enable anyone to become a good judge of cattle. The manner of making up their accounts of each animal is to examine the escutcheon and the udder, from which they place her in the class and order nearest to those delineated by Mr Guenon, and then estimate the quantity, quality, and time that she will milk. These estimates must be, of course, only approximate, as to the indications of the escutcheons, the size of the cow, and her probable condition. As it is readily seen that where estimates are based upon what the cow should do within thiee months of her being fresh it would bo impossible to always grade the exact value of all the cows in a heid, each of which is at a different period of gestation, or in a different condition, or state of health, and where also the cow is affected by the way in which she is fed, and cared for, by the season, by the state of the temperature, and other circumstances. — The estimates are bused upon what the Commission thinks the cow would do when all the conditions aie favourable to her development, andy»d v» here she is properly fed and cared for. Hobaci: Walvou:. Te Awamutu. {To In (onlinucii.)

HAMILTON.