SHORT-HORN CATTLE. 673 



It will require much practice to become an adept in this Knowledge. 

 Still, many useful lessons may be daily had by the examination and hand- 

 ling of one's own stock. Comparative handling will afford much assist- 

 ance. Take those animals that are known to accumulate fat readiiy and 

 largely, as the opossum or the bear, or any other known to take on 

 fat readily, and you will find a peculiarly soft and mellow 'touch.' 

 XXVI. The Hide. 



The skin should be thick, soft and elastic — fitting alike either a poor 

 or fat ox. A lean animal, with an inelastic skin stretched upon him, 

 could not fatten for the want of space to exi)and in. But with an elastic 

 skin he may be swelled to great dimensions in what seemed to be but a 

 covering for his bones. The skin performs very important functions in 

 the animal economy. It is not only a covering for all the parts beneath 

 it, but it is the seat of a vast system of minute blood vessels and capil- 

 laries, of exhalents and absorbents. A vast nervous tissue centers here 

 (hat renders the skin sensitive in the highest degree. The great vitai 

 worth and importance of the skin may be readily appreciated by any 

 injuries done it. The rapidity with which extensive burns destroy life 

 may serve as a sufficient illustration. " Destroy my skin, and you shall 

 have my bones also." 



XXVn. The Hair. 



The hair should be thick, soft, mossy and fine, forming a protection 

 against inclemencies of weather. Fine hair is an evidence of a finely 

 organized skin, a skin exquisitely finished in its whole structure of minute 

 vessels and tissues. A skin thus delicately organized is also evidence 

 that other organs are alike constructed. Nature in all her parts undoubt- 

 edly produces a correspondence, so that if one part is of a peculiar 

 structure, either fine or coarse, other parts are apt to correspond. Parts 

 seen may be considered indicative of parts not seen. It may be per- 

 mitted to add that in all the scrub cattle that I have grazed and fed, I 

 have never found one with fine silky hair that did not fatten well and 

 make a desirable bullock. 



XXVni. The Color. 



As regards color, the latitude is very great, from deep blood-red 

 through all the intermediate shades and mixtures to pure white, but any 

 other colors, as brown, black or dun, are never met with in thorough- 

 breds. Fashion has vindicated the rich red and purple roan as the most 

 desirable colors, and after them red. White is sometimes objected to, 

 under the impression that it is apt to spread through a herd and over- 

 power the other colors ; but this fear is more common in this country 



