DEVON BREED OF CATTLE. 131 



foreign sources should exceed the demand, a part of our surplus 

 stock may advantageously be employed in this way. Without 

 disparaging other breeds, we are bound to state that the North 

 Devon one is quite unrivalled as a worker, and this is due to 

 his activity and strength. We have not a ponderous over- 

 weighted animal, good at a dead pull no doubt, but hardly able 

 to crawl under its own weight, but we have a class of cattle that, 

 with proper training, are capable of walking as fast and getting 

 through as much work as heavy draft horses. The late Mr 

 Plumb, of Ashton Keynes, near Cirencester, whose land was of 

 a light sandy nature, worked Devon oxen in pairs, and his 

 teams could hold their own at the ploughing matches, the work 

 being done quite as expeditiously as where horses were used. 

 These bullocks were yoked with collars and guided by reins. 

 When a dead pull was required, or when a load of sheaves got 

 fast in the fold yard, a bullock was much more efficacious than 

 the strongest horse. Mr Plumb knew the value of good food, 

 and whilst he worked hard he fed well. These bullocks on an 

 average consume a bushel of corn a week, with plenty of bulky 

 food, his practice was to buy in each year three-year-olds, work 

 for two years, and send off fat when turned five years old. 

 Another point that may be urged in favour of the breed is that, 

 though careful breeding and selection has only been practised 

 of late years, they have always been noted for symmetry and 

 quality. — Ed.] 



K 2 



