106 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Mr. Smith. All beef dressers know very well, and can tell 

 before they dress an animal, how it will dress ; and they know, 

 I believe, that a white, and perhaps a brown animal, will not 

 dress as well as an animal of another color. I am not a butcher, 

 and I cannot tell the reason ; but I have heard the gentleman 

 to whom I have alluded, speak of it frequently. He says, " that 

 animal will dress livery." 



Dr. Loring. I have no desire to occupy all the time, but this 

 question of color has opened up a new chapter, and a pretty 

 interesting one, too. The white color of animals, is the most 

 artificial one that we have. I think no man will deny that the 

 white color belongs to those races of animals that have been 

 most subjected to the skill of man, in the way of breeding. Now 

 there is no such artificial animal in the world as a Shorthorn. 

 I have always considered the Shorthorn of England the most 

 remarkable tribute to man's ingenuity and skill in moulding the 

 animal kingdom that I have ever heard of. Suddenly, some 

 keen observer of cattle discovered that a certain bull was pro- 

 ducing a type of animal that would make beef faster than any 

 animal he had ever seen, and he laid the foundation of a whole 

 breed of animals that do make beef faster than any other breed 

 — are ripe when they are born, and keep ripe until they are fully 

 grown. I think this artificial breeding develops, to an extra- 

 ordinary degree, white cattle. There is another class of animals 

 bred for the purpose of making meat as rapidly as possible, and 

 that is the Cotswold sheep. Now, then, what is the quality of 

 the meat of the Cotswold sheep and the Shorthorn ? Mr. Smith 

 says that the butchers prefer red animals because their meat is 

 better, and that they say the meat of animals which he described 

 had a "livery" look. Now, that word "livery" brings you 

 right back to the old English expression in regard to cattle. 

 The cattle of Holland, from which, unquestionably, the Short- 

 horns were produced, in early days were brought into the market 

 and sold at a low price, because they were what was called 

 " lyery." Their meat was dark colored ; it was not well 

 marbled ; the lean part of the meat was in one mass and the fat 

 part in another mass. It was not the favorite meat of any peo- 

 ple in England except those who were obliged, for economy's 

 sake, to get the most fat they could for the least money. And 

 so it is to-day, sir. You go to England, and you will see that 



