This Cow's Made Out Of Paper-Mache

This cow's made out of paper-mache AG WORLD Ag World 12-2-20 "I made it because my sons' 4-H leader wanted a cow to put on a float in the local June Dairy Month parade. I'd constructed some smaller animals such as cats, so I decided to give it a try," says Janelle Humphrey, Barron, Wis., about "Country Girl"ùa 6-ft. long, 4-ft. tall, 150-lb. Guernsey cow that she built out of papier mache. "I've been told that papier mache, which uses newspaper, flour and water to form an object, is becoming a lost art. But I'm not so sure that it's not just as well being lost," laughs Humphrey, recalling the huge mess that the 2 1/2 week project made. "It took about 60 lbs. of flour to make the cow. I mixed the flour with warm water to make the paste to put on the paper and form the animal. My husband helped make the 2 by 2-in. wooden frame for the cow's body and I put a small roll of chicken wire in the stomach area." Once Humphrey started on the cow, she went "whole hog" to make sure it was complete with udder, tail, ears and even eyelashes which she fashioned out of twine.. Since the animal turned out a little smaller than expected, the Humphrey's painted it Guernsey colorsùreddish brown and whiteùdespite the fact that they have a Holstein herd. Humphrey even went so far as to draw up registration papers for Country Girl. In them she names the Country Today, a Wisconsin agricultural newspaper as the dam, and the Pioneer Press, a St. Paul, Minn. daily newspaper as the sire.

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