54 



South Devon Cattle. 



they take rank with the best. It has, however, been a constant 

 labour to secure the recognition that the breed deserves. The 

 Herd Book Society has co-operated with the breeders, bearing 

 a proportion of the cost of its representation at the Royal and 

 Bath and West exhibitions and at Smithfield, where the animals 

 exhibited have invariably attracted general attention, and com- 

 parisons have been all in their favour. 



The animals are of a medium red in colour, with good coats, 

 and it is claimed for them that they are not so prone to tuber- 

 culosis as some other breeds. For many generations they have 



Fig. 1.— South Devon BuU. 



been kept in the South Hams ; in fact, they represent the 

 survival of the fittest, for other breeds have been tried with 

 little success on the pastures whereon they flourish to-day, 

 to the exclusion of all others, which is strong presumptive 

 evidence that they are the native breed. Such excellent graziers 

 are the South Devons, so rapidly do they mature, and they 

 produce such remunerative returns on the dairy side in milk, 

 rich cream, and butter, that in the last twenty years the area 

 within which they are kept has been constantly expanding, 

 until they now possess a world-wide reputation. 



