Lire Slock. Middle-horned, Breed Proper tics of. c&amp;gt;55 



are confidered, the middle-horned may be faid in general to come nearer to per 

 fection than any other in the kingdom. They are of a large fize, well formed, and 

 in difpofition to fatten, probably much on a par with the fhort-horned, and 

 greatly fuperior to the Suffolk. As dairy cattle, they are alfo as valuable as any 

 that fall under the defcription of quick feeders ; for although they give a lefs 

 quantity of milk than the Suffolk or the long-horned, it is faid to be of a richer 

 quality.* 



The Herefordfhire as well as North Devon varieties of this breed are indeed a 

 very fuperior fort of ftock both for thepurpofe of labour and that of grazing, as 

 being not only clean, ftrong, and well made, but affording quick proof under the 

 feeding fyftem. Mr. Marfhall likewife remarks that the former, with that of the 

 Gloucefter variety, is highly eligible as dairy-ftock. The females in the Here- 

 fordmirb fort have been found to fatten better than any other kind at three years 

 old ; except the fpayed heifers of Norfolk. f 



The North Devon variety, from the finenefs of the grain in the meat, is held in 

 high eftimationin Smithfield. And they are faid to have great fuperiority over 

 many other breeds, from their poffeffing more activity, being better calculated for 

 labour, and having more blood ; and which is believed to arife from the circum- 

 ftance of their being bred from one and two years old bulls and heifers. Great proof 

 in this fort of cattle is mown by the fize of the rib, the rotundity of the barrel, and 

 the mellownefs of the fkin. The colours that are moft in efteem, and which de 

 note a fuperiority in the animals, are thofe fhades of the mahogany kind, efpeci- 

 ally where there is a filky or glofly appearance in the hide, with a flight degree of 

 waving or curling in the hair.+ The ox in this variety is moflly confidercdin 

 perfection about the fifth year of his age. 



This valuable breed of cattle is the moft prevalent in the morefouthern and fotith- 

 weftern parts of this country, as in SulTex, Dorfetfhire, Hampfhire, Devonmire, 

 Somerfetftiire, and even fo far northward as Herefordfhire, where the largeft, and 

 perhaps the fineft variety of this breed of neat cattle is met with. The SufTex variety 

 though not fo large astheHerefordfhire,exceeds thofe of moft of the other diffracts. 

 The oxen in the Herefordfhire fort, when fix years old and fattened, will in general 



* Modern Agriculture, vol. III. f Rural Economy of Glouceflerfiure. 



J Annals of Agriculture, vol. XXX. 



