304 THE HANDBOOK FOR PRACTICAL FARMERS 



tral West and North Central States but the interest seems to 

 be lagging at the present time. The breed possesses many 

 desirable points and it would seem that they justify more inter- 

 est than is being taken in them. 



The American Red Polled Cattle Club was organized in 1883. 

 The headquarters are now located at Gotham, Wisconsin. 



The Devon breed. — This is a very old breed of cattle. They 

 originated in Devon and Somerset, England. This is a very 

 rolling section, well suited for grazing but not very good for 

 farming. The type of the cattle has been fixed for many gen- 

 erations so the breed is very uniform. In size, the mature bulls 

 weigh fourteen hundred to eighteen hundred j^ounds and the 

 cows from one thousand to twelve hundred and fifty pounds. 

 They are of a uniform deep red color with white sometimes 

 occurring on the udder. The horns are of medium length with 

 an upright curve. 



They are very superior as grazers, having been kept on roll- 

 ing pastures for generations. In type they possess smooth, even 

 straight lines and are well proportioned with a medium short 

 ]eg. While they are not a thick fleshed breed they are very even 

 fleshed and when fattened produce very high class beef. Well 

 finished steers often dress out a high percentage of fine quality 

 of beef. As milkers the cows rank very well. Their ability to 

 do well on rough pastures makes them well suited to some of the 

 liilly sections of the United States. The milk is above the aver- 

 age in percentage of butter fat. 



The Devon does not mature as rapidly as some of the other 

 breeds. 



They were first imported to this country during Colonial 

 times, and for some years were quite popular in New England. 

 However, the great demand for milk and the low price of beef 

 caused the decline of all the beef and dual purpose breeds in 

 this section and the Devon has not made a recovery. There are 

 a few herds remaining, and some good herds are found in the 

 Middle Western States, but the breed is declining at the present 

 time in this country. 



The interests of the breed are fostered by the American Devon 

 Cattle Breeders Association, headquarters, Newark, Ohio. 



Judging dairy cattle. — The ability to judge dairy cattle 

 accurately and consistently is gained through continuous experi- 

 ence and study. It is true that some people have more natural 

 ability along this line than others and by continuous practice they 

 become expert in the selection of animals. There is no reason 



