250 N. H. STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



belief. lie could scarcely conceive that that hand could 

 feci a hidden property — the touch — which of all tests is 

 the most surely indicative of fine quality of flesh, and of 

 disposition to fatten. It can feel whether that flesh is of 

 the most valuable kind ; and it can foretell the probable 

 abundance of fat in the interior of the carcass. In short, 

 a judge alone can discriminate between the relative values 

 of the different points, or appreciate the aggregate values 

 of all the properties of an ox. The parts of tlie ox by 

 which it is judged, let it be remembered, are called "points." 



Thus it may be seen that a person even totally ignorant 

 of cattle, may judge of some of the most apparent proper- 

 ties or points of a fat ox ; but were a lean one placed be- 

 fore him, he would be quite at a loss what opinion to pass 

 on its present, and, far more, of its future condition. The 

 outline of its figure would to him appear rugged and angu- 

 lar, and consequently coarse. To him the body would feel 

 as a number of hard bones, covered with a tough skin and 

 coarse hair. A judge, on the other hand, could at once dis- 

 cover the good or bad points of a lean as well as of a fat 

 ox ; because the properties of the former are the same in 

 kind, though not in degree, as those of the latter; and, in 

 accordance with the qualities of these points, he could an- 

 ticipate the future condition of the lean ox, save and ex- 

 cepting the effects of accidents and disease. 



But, it may be asked, if the qualifications of a judge of 

 cattle may be so easily acquired as is here represented, how 

 is it tliat the opinion of a judge is always held in defer- 

 ence, and is alwavs referred to in cases of diflereucc of 

 opinion? This question admits of a very satisfactory an- 

 swer: Errors in the judging of cattle arise not so frequent- 

 ly from not knowing the points to be judged of, as from 

 judges attributing to one or more of their favorite points 

 too great an influence over the future increasing condition 

 of the ox; and as long as there are so many points to bo 

 considered, and as most of them may be partially altered 



