CATTLE 



Fig. 6. Jersey Cow. 



full milk, whole herds of Jersey cows give an aver- 

 age of 9J Ib. of butter each cow per week, an excep- 

 tional cow occasionally giving as much as 16 Ib. of 

 butter in one week. 

 Good Jersey cows yield 

 from 500 to 700 gallons 

 of milk, and from 300 

 to 350 Ib. of butter in 

 twelvemonths. Guern- 

 sey cows have exceeded 

 800 gallons of milk in a 

 year, and the noted cow 

 ' Select,' when six years 

 old, gave 22 ID. of 

 butter in seven clays, 

 this quantity being ob- 

 tained from 19 quarts 

 of milk per day. In America still higher records 

 have been obtained. 



It has been stated that the improvement of 

 cattle-breeding on scientific principles was begun 

 by Bakewell in 1755. Almost continuously since 

 then the good work has been prosecuted with 

 energy and success, and for many years the British 

 Isles have been regarded as the origin and head- 

 quarters of almost all the most valuable varieties 

 of farm live-stock. For generations foreign 

 countries have freely resorted to these islands 

 for improved live-stock, and this export trade 

 goes on as briskly and as extensively as ever. 

 The United States of America have in particular 

 drawn very largely upon British herds, and a 



treat stimulus to this trade with the United 

 tates has been given by the extension of the 

 ranching system. Vast areas of grazing land in 

 the western states and territories have been 

 acquired by syndicates for the breeding and rear- 

 ing of cattle ; and with the view of improving 

 the stock of native cattle, large numbers of well- 

 bred bulls of the leading British varieties, either 

 imported from the United Kingdom or descended 

 from imported stock, have been sent to the West 

 for use on ranches. 



The cattle of the United States and Canada 

 present almost endless variety of form and 

 character. This is what might be expected 

 when it is remembered that they are descended 

 from importations of cattle from Spain, Hol- 

 land, Sweden, Denmark, France, and England, 

 Scotland, and Ireland. About the year 1525, 

 some six years after the discovery of Mexico by 

 the Spaniard Cortes, cattle were introduced into 

 that country from Spain, and in the abundant 

 pasturage of the Mexican territory they increased 

 rapidly, spreading with the enterprising Spanish 

 settlers into Texas, California, and other parts of 

 the Far West. Exactly a hundred years later 

 the Dutch settlers in New York brought cattle 

 thither from Holland, and a few years earlier 

 small importations of cattle had been made from 

 the West India Islands into Virginia. The earliest 

 of these arrivals in Virginia are assigned to 1610 

 and 1611, but that colony was broken up in 1622 

 by the Indians, who massacred 347 men, women, 

 and children, and, it is presumed, also destroyed 

 their cattle. In 1624 -four years after the land- 

 ing of the English Plymouth colony there cattle 

 were introduced into Massachusetts from England, 

 and many other importations followed during the 

 next few years. The Swedes brought cattle into 

 Delaware in 1627, and in 1631 and two following 

 years Danish emigrants introduced cattle from 

 their native country into New Hampshire. Eng- 

 lish emigrants settled in Maryland in 1633, in 

 North and South Carolina in 1660 and 1670, and 

 in Pennsylvania in 1682, and took with them, or 

 had sent after them, large numbers of English 

 cattle. The French colonists brought cattle into 



Quebec as early as 1608 ; and towards the close of 

 the 17th century fresh importations of European 

 cactle poured into the great American continent. 

 It so happens, however, that while importations of 

 cattle were made from all the countries named, 

 and perhaps from others also, the existing cattle 

 stock of America leaving out the Mexican, now 

 more commonly called Texan, cattle, which are 

 still a race by themselves are largely of British 

 origin. In the earlier importations, again exclud- 

 ing Mexico, British cattle preponderated ; and just 

 as the English language has submerged all others 

 in the gradual development of the American conti- 

 nent, so has British Dlood become the dominating 

 element in the main bulk of the cattle stock of 

 the country. There is no authentic information as 

 to the character of the cattle first introduced into 

 America, but all the leading breeds of the British 

 Isles, as well as the chief milking breeds of the 

 European continent, are now strongly represented 

 in North America. There, as at home, the English 

 shorthorn predominates, and there are also strong 

 representations of the Hereford, Polled Aberdeen- 

 Angus, Galloway, Devon, Norfolk and Suffolk Red 

 Polls, Jersey and Dutch breeds. The cattle of 

 America are being speedily improved, chiefly by 

 the use of well-bred bulls, either imported from 

 the British Isles or bred from imported cattle. 

 Still, the majority of them are of an inferior 

 character quite unworthy of the rich country 

 which they occupy. The Texan cattle still retain 

 the rough coarse character which distinguished 

 their Spanish ancestors. Improvement amongst 

 the Texan cattle is proceeding very slowly. 



The cattle of Australia, which are small, slow- 

 growing, and of inferior quality as beef-producers, 

 have also been greatly improved by the introduc- 

 tion of British stock, chiefly of the Shorthorn, 

 Hereford, and Polled Aberdeen- Angus breeds. 



In the management of cattle there is perhaps even 

 greater variation than in the character of the cattle 

 themselves. A full description of the various 

 methods of management would itself occupy a 

 moderate volume. It must suffice here to mention 

 two or three leading features in cattle economy. 

 In the British Isles the ox is no longer a beast 

 of burden, save in a very few localities. The 

 yoke has fallen upon the horse, except where 

 both have been relieved by the steam-engine. 

 The two main purposes for which cattle are now 

 reared are the production of milk and butcher- 

 meat. Certain breeds, as already indicated, are 

 peculiarly adapted for milk-production, such as the 

 Jersey and Guernsey and Ayrshire cattle ; others, 

 notably the shorthorn and red-polled breeds, are 

 distinguished for the combination of both milking 

 and fattening properties of the highest order ; while 

 others again, such as the Polled Aberdeen-Angus, 

 the Hereford and Devon, &c. , display remarkable 

 aptitude to fatten, and yield meat of the choicest 

 quality. The farmer of course selects the breed 

 best adapted to the locality in which he lives, and 

 to the purposes he has in view. As a rule cattle of 

 all kinds, whether dairying or fattening, spend the 

 summer on the pasture fields ; and it is only in 

 exceptional cases, either where there is a deficiency 

 of grass, or where it is desired to force the growth, 

 fattening, or milking of the animals, that any food 

 beyond what they can pick up for themselves is 

 given to cattle on the fields. Oil-cake, cotton- 

 cake, and bruised grain partly imported, mostly 

 home grown are the principal auxiliary foods on 

 pasture. Where a careful system of management 

 prevails, the cattle are put into comfortable houses 

 overnight as soon as the chill autumnal evenings 

 set in ; and throughout the winter they are kept 

 almost entirely in the houses, store-cattle getting 

 out now and again about mid -day when the weather 



