38 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



The best cattle have not always followed the best lands. 

 Those people who planted themselves in the finer grain growing 

 regions of the interior, although using oxen for labor, more or 

 less, until their farms were subdued and brought into easier cul- 

 tivation, abandoned them for horses, as beasts of labor, and 

 became indifferent to any selection of breeds; and as they did 

 not become graziers, or dairymen, except for domestic use, and 

 the supply of the local markets with beef and butter, they paid 

 little attention to their cows, in comparison with those who made 

 beef, and butter, and cheese their chief staples ; thus their cattle 

 stock was inferior. It was so with the planting interests of the 

 South; cattle became a secondary object throughout the Mid- 

 dle and Southern States, and so remained until a comparatively 

 recent time. 



The result of all these indefinite and purposeless intermixtures 

 of breed is now daily seen in herds which are brought into our 

 eastern markets, from the principal stock growing States a 

 huge preponderance of inferior animals, both bullocks and cows. 

 They are of all possible shapes, colors, and character, from the 

 very worst to tolerably good, except in those districts where 

 "improved" blood has been introduced, and better care in breed- 

 ing and keeping has been practiced. There, really fine cattle 

 are to be found. The chief defects of these common cattle are 

 in their lack of early maturity, (requiring five to seven years to 

 mature them,) hard "handling," prominence of bone, a large pro- 

 portion of offal to flesh, and an uncertainty both as to the quan- 

 tity and quality of milk with the cows all resulting from 

 negligence, and want of care in breeding and using them. It 

 would appear from the looks of these animals, that the best bull 

 calves if there were any best about them were made into 

 steers, and the meanest kept for propagating their race, and the 

 best heifers, tending to early maturity, were turned into beef, 

 while the worst were reserved for breeding, and the dairy. 



