148 BREEDS 



but without any explanation as to the difference between the 

 Cornish and the Devonshire article. The reason why this 

 strong-boned, flat-sided cow's milk should be held to be so 

 good for clotted cream seems to be rather a matter of colour, 

 as the South Devon's milk is particularly rich-looking. There 

 may be other reasons, but so far they are unexplained. Aged 

 steers of the breed are much sought after to graze the rankest 

 of the best pasture fields in the Midlands, and there is a very 

 successful public sale at Totnes every year for the distribution 

 of the bulls which are by no means purchased only by local 

 farmers. 



The astonishing thing is that meat-salesmen do not object 

 to South Devons ; by a certain class of butchers they are very 

 highly valued. Though the well-bred bullock cannot be accused 

 of being coarse, there is such development of bone that one 

 would expect this seriously to interfere with his popularity on 

 the block; moreover, for his size, the proportion of first-quality 

 joints always appears to be small both to the eye and under the 

 hand, and the "roastings" seem to be thin-fleshed; generally, 

 to the uninitiated, the South Devon seems very unlikely to 

 attract the butchers' favour. I have often been told, by those 

 experienced in the trade, the cause of this unexpected popularity. 

 The beast is found to be particularly thick-fleshed at those parts 

 of the carcase which carry the second-class cuts. These are 

 parts which are often difficult to sell. The tradesman who has 

 to supply, often under contract, large joints off the first-quality 

 parts of the carcase, often finds himself with a quantity of meat 

 which is cut from other places that cannot easily be disposed of. 

 My informants are convinced that the second-quality cuts from 

 the South Devon are so particularly good that ij is compara- 

 tively easy to find customers who will pay a profitable price for 

 them. Certainly, I have noticed that these steers when on the 

 hoof seem to handle particularly well at the brisket, which is one 

 of the largest, and a very important, joint of second quality. 

 It would be interesting to know whether the South* Devon is 

 exceptionally well covered with meat at such points or whether 

 he is merely better covered there than might be expected from 

 his general conformation. For, if these cattle should prove to 



