26 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



of value to Texan and other southern farmers. He had 

 tried breeding shorthorns, but thought them not so well 

 calcul ited for warm climates as Devons ; and he had, con- 

 sequently, disposed of them, and conflaed his attention to 

 Devons. 



POINTS. 



In the scale of points adopted by the New York State 

 Agricultural Society, for the guidance of judges, attention 

 is called to the peculiarity of shoulder which distinguishes 

 the Devon from other breeds. It should, in degree, ap- 

 proximate to the shoulder of the horse, taking a more 

 sloping position than is found with other breeds, with its 

 point less projecting and angular, and the blade-bone more 

 curved, thus blending with and formiug a fine wither, rising 

 a little above the level line of the back. 



Devons are distinguished for delicate limbs, deep red 

 colour, beautifully-tapering horns, high and spirited action, 

 docility in the yoke, and, as Mr. Randall says, " a show of 

 blood little below that of the thoroughbred horse." On 

 light soils they are especially useful for ploughing ; for they 

 have a remarkable quicUness of step, and energy, that carries 

 them over a great deal of ground in a day. For heavy 

 soils, however, they do not possess weight of carcase enough 

 to compete eutirely with Herefords and Durhams. If a 

 Devon can be bred to have greater weight, and still retain 

 all the present excellent points of the race, the breed will 

 be by far the best at present known. Perhaps this desirable 

 result awaits the efforts of Mr. Wamwright, or those of 

 Mr. Faile. 



BULLS. 



Omar Pacha, the Turner bull previously alluded to, is the 

 only Royal first-prize Devon thst has crossed the Atlantic. He 

 is a very fine aninaal in many points. He has a better flank 

 than is usual with this breed, a good upper Hue, broad, flat 

 back, wonderful bosom, very fine bone below the knee, but his 

 head is a little long and feminine, and he is undersized. He is 

 an easy keeper, being now in fine condition without meal all 

 winter, having had but six quarts of roots a day. His age is 

 five years; weight, 1,470 pounds. 



Horicon, his rival in the affections of the herd, is but four 

 years old, and a real native American. His quality is good — 

 better than Om»r's. He is more cut up in the flauk, and 

 longer-legged; heavier too, for he weighed 1,820 pounds two 

 months since. He is the largest Devon bull we recollect to 

 have seen. His head is shorter and more bull-like than Omar's ; 

 his horns are set on close, which itself would give a heavy ap- 

 pearance to his head ; but in symmetry throughout, his head 

 is superior to that of the other. He is remarkable for carry- 

 ing the loin so far forward as he does, and he has a great girth. 



As we are speaking of gfirth, perhaps it will be as well to 

 lay before our readers the table showing the average size and 

 girth of prize cattle at the Royal Chester Show, prepared for 

 the Society by Mr. Robert Smith. It would be well if such a 

 one were arrange! at each of our great agricultural exhibi- 

 tions, for we should then know whether breeds deteriorate in 

 this country, and if so, which ? 



CLAS.S. Av. age of prize Av. girth of prize 



animals. animals. 



Shorthorns. yrs. ms. ft. in. 



Aged bulls 4 7i 8 3^ 



Yeai ling bulls 1 9| 7 2 



Bullcalves 9| 5 8 



Cows 3 9 7 10 



Two-year-old heifers. . 2 5 7 



YearUngs 14 6 



Herefords. 



Agedbulls 4 5 8 3 



Yearling bulls 1 10^ 7 0^ 



Bullcalves 10| 5 11^ 



Cows 7 8 7 2 



Two-year-old heifers. . 2 7i 7 44 



Yearlings 1 9i 6 6|^ 



Devons. 



Agedbulls 3 6 7 5 



Yearling bulls 1 6i 6 2 



Bullcalves SJ 5 2 



Cows 6 2i 6 9| 



Two-year-old heifers. . 2 6 6 10 



Yearlings 1 7| 6 1 



Now, let our farmers on poor pasture farms carefully examine 



4i 

 5i 



this table, and see which breed seems beat suited !o their cir- 

 cumstances. Here we find the aged Devon bulls, when a year 

 younger than the other breeds, girthing only 10 inches less; 

 and in other classes the difference is even less. Now, recol- 

 lecting the build of this breed, and its superior qualities, does 

 not this table go far to substantiate the claims of Devon 

 breeders as to the peculiar province of the breed? We think 

 it does. But to return : 



Sachem, a seven months' calf, by Horicon out of Helena 

 2nd, is a growthy thing, rangy, with a good shoulder point, 

 good flank and hind quarters, and as pretty a head as was ever 

 seen on a Devon. 



Wisconsin is young, vigorous, and promising ; he has a 

 good flaak, and his sire's head. He and the other animals are 

 healthy and hardy. Of forty bull calves bred at The Meadows, 

 but two have been sick ; and for three years past, with a herd 

 of about thirty animals, male and female, Mr. Wainwright has 

 had no sick animal on the place — a fact which speaks very 

 favourably for the breed. 



The original Helena was imported ten years ago, and from 

 her there have been 40 descendants — 25 heifers and 15 bulls. 

 The same general points distinguished them throughout, each 

 one of course varying somewhat from the other, but all having 

 so marked a resemblance, that in a pasture lot, where there 

 were 16 cows and heifers, it was not an easy matter for even 

 their owner to select one Helena from another. 



Helena 6th is rather more beefy than the others, and from 

 the rump to the back she has more of a Shorthorn than 

 Devon shape. She fails somewhat in the flank, but has a re- 

 markable loin and crops. Her weight is about 1,220 lbs. 



Kate Kearney was the second prize at the Lewes Royal 

 Show. When she first got over here she was in such flesh 

 that she slunk her calf, and it required two years to get her 

 into breeding order. Since that time she has bred regularly, 

 dropping three bulls and one heifer calf in four years. Her 

 horns are well set on, and she has a capital shoulder, but she 

 droops in the rump, and does not make a show equal to the 

 Helenas. 



Editha (680), a four-year-old cow, by Megunticook, out of 

 Moss Rose (904), by Duke of York, the great prize-taker, 

 carries flesh remarkably. She has not had a bushel of meal 

 since she was twelve months old, but she is fleshy, and, 

 although now heavy in calf, it is easy to see that she has a 

 beautiful spring of rib. Her back would make a good dining 

 table for a small party, and will cut more sirloin beef than any 

 Devon we ever saw. As the English butchers say, " she has 

 more ninepenny, and leas threepenny beef than any beast in 

 the show." Editha has taken five prizes in this country, three 

 of them from the New-York State Agricultural Society. 



Meadow Lily, sired in England by Baronet, son of Quartly's 

 Prince of Wales, was imported in the cow, her dam being old 

 Helena. Lily is now an old flower, and has lost much of her 

 bloom. She is nearly eleven years old, but has been a fine 

 animal, and done most excellent service in her time. She is 

 mother to five Helenas, all of which are first-class cows. For 

 one of her daughters, Helena 2nd, her owner has twice been 

 offered 500 dols. 



Helena 7th, a three-year-old, and one of the prettiest in the 

 herd, calved during our visit to the place. Her head is of 

 beautiful shape, eye clear and sprightly, spring of rib excel- 

 lent, and back and twist good. 



Nora, the dam of Horicon, and of a very pretty heifer. 

 Norma, has great length of quarter, and has transmitted her 

 stylish head to her calves. 



Helena 12th has great weight. She has in her two crosses 

 of May Boy, and, without stuffing, she now weighs, at twelve 

 mouths old, 6001bs., which is heavy for a Devon. Thome's 

 shorthorn bull, 3rd Duke of Thornedale, weighed 1,100108. 

 the day he was a year old, but the weight of Grand Turk ia 

 3,0001bs., and the young bull had therefore got only a little 

 better than one-third ot his ultimate weight during the first 

 year. This heifer will weigh perhaps l,2001b3. as an old cow, 

 and she has actually got half her ultimate weight in her first 

 twelvemonth. 



Donna, out of the old imported Nonpareil, by May Boy, has 

 wonderful crops, filled out quite even with the shoulders. Her 

 whole fore-quarter is excellent. 



Flora, out of Mr. Conger's Daisy, ia a nice little thing, an 

 improvement on the dam, but not quite up to the Helena 

 mark. 



Eva, sired by Horicon, and out of the fat cow Editha, won 



