522 AMERICAN CATTLE. 



fat in good places, and being equally distributed, both inside, as 

 well as next to the skin. 



A hard handler seldom proves well. He is apt to be "lumpy," 

 or " patchy " on the surface, when highly fed, putting the fat in 

 undesirable places, with an absence of it in the parts where most 

 wanted. Thus good handling, and proof, are apt to go together ; 

 one in the living beast, the other after slaughter, on the hooks, 

 or the butcher's block. 



LARGE, OR OVERGROWN CATTLE. 



There is a great propensity with some people for large cattle. 

 Whatever the breed, great size they count a great excellence. 

 This is altogether a mistake. Extraordinary size is apt to be 

 accompanied with heavy bone, and coarseness. Coarse cattle 

 are always large consumers, and generally, slow feeders. They 

 mature tardily. Their quality of flesh is coarse, and the beast, 

 taken altogether, is undesirable both to the feeder, the butcher, 

 and consumer. 



The most profitable of all cattle to the breeder, and grazier, 

 are those of medium size, compact form, low on the leg, and 

 what may be called chunky ; yet they should have good length. 

 Still they should have good size for the breed; as much size as 

 is consistent with fineness, which means, small bone, and well 

 fleshed. 



We frequently read accounts in the papers of enormously 

 large calves, steers, and bullocks oxen which weigh 3,000 

 pounds, live weight, and upwards. Whenever we hear of such, 

 we immediately couple them with coarseness. It cannot be oth- 

 erwise, because such size is unnatural to the ordinary nature of 

 the beast. When fully fatted and they hardly ever do get 

 thoroughly fat until five or six years old they are patchy, or 

 lumpy, which are bad in beef cattle. Therefore, we say, do not 

 aim at extraordinary size in your stock. If of good breed, the 



