California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



thau some of the light fiiucies. Fiincy places 

 great stress ou the brisket. lieality (the 

 butcher) says it is uot high-jiriced beef, aud, 

 intrinsically, worth but little. A long, prom- 

 inent brisket adds weight to low i)riccd beef 

 with out adding to the real value as an index 

 to a broad chest and strong constitution. 

 Fancy makes a strong point in favor of a 

 heavy brisket. The fore legs — and hind ones 

 too — fancy overlooks sometimes, and substi- 

 tutes mill-posts in size and many inches in 

 length, lieality says that soup is good, but 

 costs too much to make coarse shins profitable 

 as they never sell for what they cost in the 

 carcass. Great weight in the crops adds to 

 the value of other pai-ts per pound over light 

 ones. Fancy and prejudice frequently over- 

 look this fact — forgetting that light crops are 

 classed as low priced beef, while heavy or 

 thick crops, besides taking the weight from 

 the paunch and offal, add to the weight Oi the 

 high and valuable parts. Fancy, and preju- 

 dice also, frequently makes great sacrifice in 

 the heart, as the light and delicate points so 

 much admired, generally carry the same deli- 

 cate proportion to the heart, the most vital 

 part of the beast. 



If the animal is light "through the heart" 

 and behind the shoulders, the action of that 

 organ will be hampered and the robustness of 

 the animal wdl be diminished. Fancy over- 

 looks many faults in the loins and hips; while 

 usefulness says that the ribs should be well 

 sprung — "round as a barrel!" — and uot too 

 short; a little paunchiness can be overlooked, 

 as a good feeder generally has some place to 

 put it. Loins are fancy cuts in reality, and 

 should, if thick and broad, even it a little 

 arched, overbalance many minor defects of 

 other points. Broad loins necessarily make 

 ■wide hii)s, but they should uot be rugged, or 

 rough — not too prominent, esijecially iu a 

 bull. 



Flanks are quite important, if good, and of 

 but little importance if light. The fore-Hank 

 especiidly should be full, to give room for the 

 internal organs, and to add to the value of the 

 plates. A low, thick hind Haul* is also very 

 desirable, adding weight without occupying 

 space that is needed for anything else. 

 Great weight is added to valuable parts by 

 having the rumps straight aud square, carry- 

 ing their width well down to the quarter. 

 Peakedness is really objectionable, aud, if it 

 comes from hips too wide, they had better be 

 narrowed. Fancy frequently protrudes the 

 quarters — rounding them up behind, which 

 is frequently done at the exijeuse of their 

 length, making them "cut iu" aud too short, 

 besides adding coarse meat. The twist should 

 be well let down, aud full, as daylight is uot 

 much needed at that point. The quality of 

 tne quarter is nuieh enhanced by being in- 

 creased in weight in a few points at no ex- 

 pense of space. "Steak" comes down better 

 in a straight hiud leg than in a crooked one. 

 Thigh bones are necessary, but might just as 

 well be covered with meat as to be bare. The 

 shorter from the ground to the hock, and the 

 longer from there up the better. As hind leg 

 Boup is no better than fore leg soup, the less 

 the better. Fancy runs wild ou the tail, con- 

 demning an animal frequently on account of 

 its length or shortness, even the brush com- 

 ing in for a full share of condemdatiou or 

 praise — I suppose on the ground that "the 

 beautiful should be encouraged, as the useful 

 will encourage itself." "Ox-tail" soup is 

 about its only use —after fly-time. 



Fancy "goes in" on the hide with no little 

 prejiidice for or against certain imaginary 

 qualities that are freiinently taken as superior 

 to the best forms and largest preponderance 

 of valuable parts. Especuilly is the fancy of 

 f(!eliMg (jualities, when taken against the form 

 of an animal, overestimated, as many thick 

 or hard-hidi-d animals that are well formed 

 will testify by their quick growth aud heavy 

 weights. The quality of the flesh is what is 

 wanted, aud reality says that the feeling 

 quality of the hide does not always determine 

 that. Of course the color, thickness, plia- 

 bility, etc., of the hide is more of au index 



thau a reality of itself. A good covering is 

 needed, and that is why thSanimalbas a hide 

 at all. It is true we take advantage of it, and 

 sometimes get our foot iu it iu more w.ijs 

 that one. The same might be said of the 

 hair, for, after nature is provided for, the 

 balance is nearly all fancy. The color of the 

 hair, varying from white to red, which are 

 sure tokens of Short-horus, is much more 

 fancy than reality, aud our prejudices are 

 governed more by this ditierenee thau men 

 are willing to acknowledge. So in regard to 

 pedigrees. Fancy would lead us to a differ- 

 ent conclusion, from the way it runs crazy 

 after some old bull that lived perhaps a hun- 

 dred years ago, with no more than a number 

 for a pedigree — condemning others, withoiit 

 any more reason, for doiug the same thing. 

 Reality says that pedigree fanciers live in 

 "glass houses" and should be careful about 

 "throwing stones." Reality says that pedi- 

 gree and form constitute the animal, and that 

 either without the other will surely "play 

 out" iu the end. How far we can follow 

 fancies aud make stock profitable is a question 

 that time alone can settle. That many are 

 guilty (more or less) of following fancy to the 

 sacrifiece of reality, no one can successfully 

 deny. For my owu part, auy fancy (or whim, 

 if you please) that I can follow, without sac- 

 rificing usefulness, that will please my cus- 

 tomers — that they are willing to pay for — I 

 intend to follow just as long as they are iu 

 that notion; but I am not willing, while fancy 

 demands a sacrifice of usefulness, to follow 

 in the fashion, even at the risk of being 

 called au "old fogy." These points maybe 

 too strongly presented — overdrawn. If so, 

 the writer only has to apologize, because he 

 thinks there is danger enough already to 

 warrant it. He would suggest that others 

 make a note thereof, and then do as they 

 please, of course. — N. E. Farmer. 



High-Priced Stock. — English agricultural 

 journals are having quite a warm discussion 

 on the subject of the high-prices being de- 

 manded and paid for Short-horns of certain 

 strains. The AyricuUural Gtnelte thiuks the 

 matter entirely overdone, while the North 

 British AgrictUturisl takes the opposite side. 

 It says: Those high-bred aud high-priced 

 Short-horus which have of late come iu for 

 so much abuse at the hands of certain agri- 

 cultural journalists, cost perhaps too much 

 money, but that breeding entirely from certain 

 strains is a mistake, is open to question. 

 Take two representative bulls, the Duke of 

 Devonshire's Duchess bull, aud Lord Erwiu; 

 say nothing about pedigree, the latter may in 

 a sense be the best beast; but there is no man, 

 half a judge, not to speak of peiligree, would 

 prefer him to the Duchess bull. * * 



* So it is with 

 Bates aud Booth cattle of high descent. The 

 big prices are the very thing that keeps the 

 stream pure and helps to fertilize the whole 

 Short-horn world. There is a certain potency 

 iu a small quantity of this high-bred blood — 

 latent it may have been in the original — but 

 when mixed with that of more plebian origin 

 it finds its way into those thick-fleshed ani- 

 mals which "painstaking breeders" like to 



English Shoet-Hoen Sales for 1875. — We 

 copy the following list from the Mark iMne 

 Express and ] publish it as a guide to breeders 

 in fixing upon the dates tor the local sales: 

 April 28, part of Col. Kingscote's herd at 

 Kingscote, Wotten-under-Edge, Gloucester- 

 shire. April 2'.), part of Mr. Bowly's herd, 

 at Siddington House, Cirencester. April :)0, 

 probably the whole of Mr. J. A. Mumford's 

 herd, Chilton I'avk, Thame. August 2.'), the 

 large portitm of the Karl of Dunuiore's herd, 

 Dunmore, Stirling, N. B. Septendier 2, the 

 entire herd (about 100 head) of the late Mr. 

 Torr, of Aylesby Manor, Grimsby, Lincoln- 

 shire. September 7, part of Lord Skelmers- 

 dale's hi'rd, Latliom House, Onnskirk. Sejit. 

 9, Short-horns belonging to Messrs. Foster 



and More, near Carlisle. September 10, part 

 of Sir Wilfred Lawson's herd, Brayton, Car- 

 lisle. September 22, part of Mr. H. J. Shel- 

 don's herd, Brailes House, Shipston-on-Stour. 

 September 23, Mr. J. W. Philips' Short- 

 horns, Heybridge, Cheadle, Staffordshire, 



It has been decided by the stock-breeders of 

 Connecticut to hold a Spring meeting as well 

 as a Fall meeting this year. The premiums 

 at the former will amount to $12,000, and at 

 the latter about $10,000. 



Dust for the Animals. 



A writer in the ComUry Oenileman thus 

 "goes for" the advocates of combing and cur- 

 rying: 



I do not advocate dirty sun-oundiugs, but 

 merely deny there is any benefit in grooming 

 young or breeding stock generallj', and main- 

 tain that if sheltered by night and allowed to 

 roam about by day, then evil instead of good 

 arises; for I never knew an instance of lice 

 hurting well-fed aud healthy young stock 

 when suffered to go out and about diuly, 

 whereas, in many instances I have seen colts 

 and calves which have been curried aud 

 brushed, that have swarmed with vermin, and 

 the owner has been obliged to dress with poi- 

 son to get rid of them. 



Sand and dust rubbed into a lousy animal's 

 coat will, by a few applications, cause lice to 

 disappear, for the animal will shake itself aud 

 they will fly out with the dust, the same as 

 fleas, etc., are shaken out of a heu's feathers 

 after she has dusted herself in soil or ashes. 

 See, too, how horses and mules will roll every 

 opportunity, and by turning over on their 

 backs, try all they can to have some dust ou 

 everj' part of the body, thus proving beyond 

 any question that some dust is gratifying to 

 the feelings of the animals. Yes, let auy gen- 

 tleman have any or aU of his nags, draught 

 horses or mules cleaned to look their very 

 best, and then turn them out of doors with- 

 out halter upon them, and if every one of 

 them does not lie down aud roll in the most 

 dusty place convenient, I will forfeit my 

 rejjutatiou as a judge of what is good for live 

 stock. 



Flax Culture. 



Flax is a very quick crop — the producer can 

 receive his money within four mouths from 

 the time of sowing the seed. If seed alone is 

 wanted, the best yield can be obtained from 

 di'y, rolling, moderately rich land. If straw 

 is wanted, choose, moist, rich land, such as 

 our creek snd river bottoms. The land should 

 be clean from weeds. On dirty land, the ex- 

 pense of raising aud harvestiug the crop will 

 be more than doubled. The soil must be put 

 in the fiuest possible condition, aud be made 

 smooth and mellow before the flax is sown. 

 The seed should be covered with a brush har- 

 row or roller, as, if covered too deep it will 

 not come well. A heavy ram immediately 

 after sowing will cover the seed sutfieiently, 

 provided the soil bo very fiue and mellow. 

 Great care should be taken to procure seed of 

 good (juality. It should be fully matured, 

 plump and glossy, and free from foul seeds. 

 If good seed is desired, sow from sixteen to 

 twenty quarts to the acre. If sown two thick 

 the heads w ill be smaller and not so well filled 

 with seed. 



Flax should be cut as soon as the bolls be- 

 gin to twtn brown; as, if left standing too 

 long, th<'re will be a great loss of seed iu har- 

 vesting. It may be cut with almost any 

 reaper, and if raised jirimipally for seed, there 

 is no necessity for bindiug it, but it may bo 

 left iu gavels until dry, when it is ready for 

 threshing. It is better to thresh early. For 

 threshing, some use a flail; others tramp out 

 the seeil with horses; while others use the 

 common threshing machines, with some 

 slight alterations. The average yield is from 

 twelve to fifteen bushels per acre. — Ex. 



