BULLS. 287 



who arc judges of cattle, in the highest sense of the word, who 

 are able to discern merit, or the promise of it, under a rough 

 skin and an unpampered condition, or who have strength of 

 mind suJBicient to reject a defective form, which, from its sleek 

 covering and high condition allures the common and unpracticed 

 eye. The calves got by such bulls would probably be large, 

 but so coarse in bone and in general characteristics as to be 

 comparatively useless. 



This society, regarding the importance of the bull, have 

 always offered liberal premiums for the best animals of this 

 class, upon condition that they be kept for use within the 

 county for a certain length of time. Why this condition ? For 

 no other reason than that the stock of the county might be im- 

 proved by them. A bull, however handsome, has no value in 

 himself. It is only his superior get which makes him valuable. 

 Now, of all the prize bulls for the last thirty years, what one 

 of them has been the father of prize bulls ? TVe must look at 

 things as they are, not as we think they ought to be, and who 

 ever recollects a bull entered for a premium claiming to be the 

 offspring of a prize bull. 



Now, if the instance cannot be found, or is so rare as to be 

 an a,nomaly, are we improving our stock? I heard an intelli- 

 gent gentleman, a butcher, now sixty-five years old, residing 

 within the county, who has always had an eye for a good cow, 

 not long since say that the cows in our county are no better 

 now than they were forty years ago. If this is not true in its 

 fullest extent, it comes very near it. And why is it ? Because 

 nobody among us breeds cattle with any system, with any 

 definite object in view, with even the exercise of common judg- 

 ment. And we might perhaps justly substitute state for county, . 

 excepting those gentlemen who breed purely from imported 

 stock, which, from their beauty of form, for all of them have 

 an aptitude to fatten — always command high prices. The great 

 object of all English breeders of cattle has been to attain the 

 greatest weight and maturity in the shortest time and on the 

 least quantity of food. The Alderneys are not included in this 

 remark, but they have been so little time among us that it is 

 impossible to speak understandingly in relation to them. 



But I cannot go into the subject of breeding. I wish more 



