610 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOB. 



third of their original weight in six months' good feeding ; that the pro- 

 portion of offal is not greater than in the most improved larger breeds. 

 They will lay their flesh and fat equably on the best parts ; and, when fat, 

 the beef is close and fine in the grain, highly flavored, and so well mixed 

 or marbled, that it commands a superior price in every market. 



The principal old breeds of Scotland, as given by Youatt, may be sum- 

 marized as follows : Scotland contains several distinct and valuable breeds 

 of cattle, evidently belonging to our present division, the Middle-Horns. 

 The West Highlanders, whether we regard those that are found in the 

 Hebrides, or the county of Argyle, seem to retain the most of the 

 aboriginal character. They have remained unchanged, or improved 

 only by selection, for many generations ; indeed from the earliest 

 accounts that we possess of Scottish cattle. The North Highlanders 

 are a smaller, coarser, and in every way inferior race, and owe the greater 

 part of what is valuable about them to crosses from the Western breed. 

 The Northeastern cattle were derived from, and bear resemblance to the 

 West Highlander, but are of considerably larger size. The Ayrshire 

 breed is second to none for milking. The Galloways, which less than 

 two hundred years ago, were middle-horned, and with diflficulty distin- 

 guished from the West Highlanders, are now a polled breed — increased 

 in size, with more striking resemblance to their kindred, the Devons — > 

 with all their aptitude to fatten, and with a great hardiness of constitu- 

 tion. 



XI. Swiss Cattle. 



The Swiss have long had a valuable breed of milking cattle which of 

 late years has attracted some attention in the United States. In France 

 they are held in high repute. A careful and accurate observer describes 

 them as being robust, hardy animals, usually of a dun color or dun and 

 white, with medium heads, hanging dewlaps, rather coarse shoulders and 

 broad hips and quarters $ with well developed udders. Removed from 

 their native mountains they are said to manifest little im^Datience at the 

 change, and though kept in stables and soiled, they seemed to thrive and 

 carry fi good coat of flesh ; when dry, they fatten readil}:. In Switzer- 

 land they are wintered in the valleys, on the coarsest food , and as soon as 

 the snow melts from the southern slopes of the mountains are driven to 

 their pastures, which, as the season advances, are gradually changed for 

 the higher ranges. Por four months in the year they are kept on the 

 most elevated feeding grounds, and there, attended b}- a single man, 

 miiting in his person the offices of cowherd and dairyman, they feed on 

 the close, sweet herbage, often at the very edge of the snow fields, till 

 their short summer is over, and they are driven by the autumn stoniis to 

 tiie more sheltered pastures again. Cheese is the chief product, and its 



