202 DAIRYING. 



herd, 22 cows, seven milking with first or second calf, gave 

 in 1895 an average of 7744^ lbs. of milk each. In my own 

 little herd the mature cows will average over 6000 lbs. of 

 milk a year and 4 per cent of fat. 



Beef Qualities. — In this line, so far, we are entirely de- 

 pendent for facts on the English records. No full-blood 

 steers of the breed have as yet been shown in .this country. 

 A few samples will suffice. At the Smithfield Club Show in 

 1889, two Red Polled steers, two years old, showed the 

 largest daily gain of anything on exhibition that old — 2.1S 

 lbs. and 2.29 lbs., respectively. At the Smithfield Club 

 Show of 1890 a Red Polled steer dressed the highest per 

 cent of his live weight of any animal slaughtered — 73.72 

 per cent. This, according to the London Live Stock Journal, 

 has only once been exceeded in England — by a cross-bred 

 steer, which dressed 74 per cent of his live weight. 



At the fat-stock shows in England in 1894 the following 

 live weights were recorded : A steer i year io| months, 

 1374 lbs., and a year later 1702 lbs. ; a steer i year loj 

 months, 1323 lbs.; a steer i year io| months, 1208 lbs., and 

 a year later 1656 lbs. ; a steer i year 9 months, 1250 lbs., a 

 year later 1728 lbs., and at 3 years 9 months 2112 lbs. 



Mature Red Polled cows, in breeding condition, should 

 weigh 1200 to 1400 lbs., and bulls 1800 to 2000 lbs. A few 

 will greatly exceed these weights, but many, as now bred, 

 are smaller. These, however, are about the weights at- 

 tained in the best herds. 



VII. Devon Cattle. 



By L. P. SissoN, Wheeling, W. Va., Secretary American Devon Cattle Club. 



The Devon breed of cattle is one of the oldest of the 

 English cattle. Their native home is on the highlands of 

 Devonshire, in southwestern England. Our records show 

 that in the year 1800 Messrs. Winthrop & Davenport im- 

 ported Devons into Plymouth, Mass. ; in 1805 General Eaton 

 imported some into Otsego county. New York; in 1817 Mr. 

 George Patterson came into possession of some Devons, 

 brought over by T. W. Coke, who presented them to a 



