THE FARMER'S FRIEND. 



CHAPTER I. 

 ON LIVE STOCK. 



Art. I.— on THE PROPERTIES OF A GOOD SHORT-HORN. 



By Mr. Johx "Wright. 



In attempting- to describe the properties wliicli a good 

 sliort-liorn ought to possess, the difficulty woukl be lessened 

 if they were all of one age and of one size; the relative pro- 

 portions of each part might then be defined with precision 

 and accuracy, so that, by applying- the scale, the defects of 

 symmetry would be immediately discovered: without such a 

 test, we are left to form our own opinion from experience and 

 observation of such animals as have met with general appro- 

 bation. 



In handling a beast, we proceed to put the hand on those 

 parts usually called points, commencing at the rump, thence 

 to the hip, loin, rib, crop, shoidder, neck-vein, fore-breast, 

 back-breast, flank, twist, and udder or cod. Describing- 

 these several points so as to be carried into practice has 

 always been found a most difficult undertaking, and for ever 

 must remain so ; it would be in vain, therefore, to suppose 

 that these observations will be more successful. 



The rump-bone, when the benst is in a lean state, should 

 be about two inches off, and the upper part of it level or 

 even with the under side of the tail. When the rump-bone 

 lies near to the tail, it shows the smallest quantity of fot 

 laid on that part ; but the general dislike to this is proved 

 by the name of " Tom Fool's Fat" being- given to it. When 

 narrow in this part, there is always a want of substance and 

 lean flesh between that and the hip, and a part between 

 them where the fat of the two points cloes not join together ; 



B 



