68 DETERIORATED CONDITION OF 



look the nature of the necessity which obliges 

 the Herefordshire farmers to maintain this 

 great distinction between the size of their cows 

 and that of their oxen, we cannot wonder at 

 finding this principle so generally disregarded. 



The author of the "Farmer's Series" speaks 

 in the same sense of the Hereford cows and 

 oxen. 



I think it impossible for any thinking man, 

 after reading this account of our cattle, not to 

 be struck by the affinity it displays between 

 the principles which should guide us in the 

 management of both horses and cattle. 



The history of the last points out how im- 

 possible it is to withdraw them from a state of 

 nature, so as to increase greatly their size with- 

 out reducing their constitutional vigour. It 

 shows how this difficulty has been successfully 

 met by those who breed our Devon and Here- 

 fordshire cattle, keeping down the size of the 

 parents of their large oxen. 



We cannot reflect on these facts without 

 coming to the conclusion that when any domes- 

 ticated animals have been long much removed 

 from a state of nature, and have in consequence 

 lost some of their natural qualities, a cross 



