STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 413 



small, elegant as that of a stag or a race horse, a good, kindly eye, and a neat 

 muzzle. He has a fine width across the shoulders, great depth of breast and. 

 fore flank, a good wide brisket, and a well muscled back. The flat sides of 

 these two milking breeds give to each a paunchiness that to the breeder's eye 

 is a defect, but it is a part of the natural make-up that would be considered a 

 gross deformity in some other bi*eeds. One particular point in this Jersey bull 

 that was notable was his great length of body, set on short, fine legs, and his- 

 straightness of back, breadth of loin, and his well shaped hips. In the Ayr- 

 shire, the Jerseys, the Devons and the Ilerefords there sometimes crops out a 

 form of rump which is expressively termed pumpkin-shaped. The quarter is 

 not so square in its lines, but is rounded, so that it is also called ''hog-rumped." 

 In these Jersey and Ayrshire bulls botii were free from this defect, though not 

 heavy quartered in proportion to length of body, W^e think this description 

 expresses the general opinion, as talked by men who are good judges of cattle, 

 as well as onr own. 



The Jersey we regard as a perfect peacock, strong, vigorous, with the hand- 

 somest head, neck and shoulders we ever put an arm over, and his eye was a 

 fine one, indicative of a good temper, for which the bulls of neitlier of these 

 milking breeds are much noted. 



Then came Rufus, the oldest Short-horn bull purchased at the New York 

 Mills sales. He was in good fair condition, with rather less style about his 

 appearance than any bull of that family of which he is a scion. Rufus is now 

 six years old. He stands rather low on short legs, with a good depth of body, 

 but his crops lack in fullness. His back and ribs are good, and so is his loin. 

 His hind quarters are only moderately broad and deep, with his flank tucked 

 up somewhat, his proportion is not good, and he lacks that straightness of line 

 and squareness of body which is so desirable in the perfect highbred Short-horn 

 bull. Following him came Custer, a two-year old purchased last year from the 

 herd of Avery & Murphy. There was a good deal of diffei'ence of opinion 

 about this young bull, which is just at a severe age for criticism. He is by the 

 23d Duke of Airdrie, and out of Georgiana Hillhurst by the Duke of Hillhurst. 

 Custer stands up with a grand head and neck, set on good shoulders, with well 

 sprung ribs and back straight and level. There is considerable fullness over 

 the shoulders and a good front. He stands high, and the body is even and 

 round, the lines on back and belly almost parallel. His loin is good and broad, 

 but his defect is that of his sire, the 23d Duke — want of level hips and even- 

 ness of the back from the coupling to the point of the rump. He is not yet 

 fully formed, but though he will grow to be a longer bodied animal than he 

 now is, this point will not improve with age. When he reaches the age of 

 three and a half, if he grows at all like his grandsire, the Duke of Hillhurst, 

 he will appear longer in body than he does at present and be filled out still 

 more when a year older and possibly be over 2,600 lbs. in weight. It is found 

 that when he has been crossed on the heifers by Rufus that his calves are of 

 good form, and one that was pointed out to us by Mr. Milton Gard was cer- 

 tainly a calf tiiat would attract attention anywhere among Short-horn breeders. 



While the cows and heifers were being driven up, the haying teams were 

 pressed into service to take the party down across the bridge over the Cedar, 

 and to that part of the farm devoted to crops. As we proceeded we came 

 across a meadow on the right, where the classes in draining were laying down 

 tile drains under the charge of Professor Carpenter. We had not time to go 

 down there and see the work, for most of our party were due at the depot at 

 half past five p. 3I. 



