ENGLISH CATTLE.] CATTLE, AND THEIR VAEIETIES. [leicestee beeed. 



tinued. The keeper now uses a rifle, and 

 steals upon the animal selected, until withia 

 range, and drops it at a single shot. 



ENGLISH DOMESTIC CATTLE. 

 {Bos Taurus). To describe the form, con- 

 tour, and colour of the domestic ox is super- 

 fluous ; and it is generally known that, within 

 the precincts of our fertile island, aflbrding 

 unequalled pasturage, the animal has ramified 

 into many breeds, which it has been the care 

 of the farmer to improve and modify to his 

 own advantage. Excepting in a i'ew districts, 

 the ox is not employed in our country as a 

 beast of draught, or for the labour of the 

 plough, as it was, in ancient times, on the con- 

 tinent, and still is in many countries. On the 

 contrary, it is for its flesh on the one hand, 

 and for the milk of the cow on the other, 

 that this animal is so valuable. Indeed, every- 

 where the true importance of the ox is in 

 itself, and not its labour; though, in many 

 parts of the world, it is used both as a beast 

 of burden and draught. Eestricting our pre- 

 sent observations to British cattle, we may 

 observe, that there are two parties immediately, 

 and, we may say, professionally, interested in 

 the culture of cattle— the grazier and the dairy 

 farmer; and both require difi'erent, and, to a 

 certain degree, incompatible excellences. "With 

 the grazier, roundness of form, a moderate 

 smallness of bone, depth of chest, and an 

 aptitude to acquire external fat upon a small 

 consumption of food, are among the points of 

 excellence aimed at and expected. On the 

 contrary, the supply of a large quantity of rich 

 milk, is the desideratum of the dairy farmer; 

 and it very seldom happens that the qualities 

 prized by the one party, are combined with those 

 required by the other. Both, therefore, attend 

 io their exclusive interests, agreeing only in 

 the care bestowed upon the animal subservient 

 to their respective purposes. To note every 

 variety, and enter into minutiae — the part 

 rather of the farmer than the naturalist — is far 

 from being our object; a sketch, however, 

 of some of the principal breeds will not be 

 uninteresting, and must necessarily find a con- 

 siderable space in a work of this kind. 



OLD BREEDS. 

 Among the older breeds was a long-horned 

 638 



race, now greatly modified, of which Lan- 

 cashire and the "West Eiding of Yorkshire 

 might be considered as the central district; 

 whence it extended — not to the exclusion of 

 other races — through the midland counties, 

 and even into Ireland. This breed was termed 

 the Craven, from a district of that name in 

 Yorkshire, bordering upon Lancashire, where 

 it is said to have originally appeared. It wag 

 large, coarse-boned, and apt to be long in the 

 body, which, besides, was destitute of round- 

 ness. The milk, if not abundant in quantity, 

 was extremely rich, and suited the purpose of 

 the dairy farmer. The horns were of enormous 

 length ; sometimes they projected horizontally 

 on each side of the head ; generally, however, 

 they swept downwards, with an inward flexure, 

 often reaching below the level of the muzzle, 

 or even meeting before it, so as to interfere 

 with the facility of grazing. Indeed, the points 

 often press against the sides of the muzzle, 

 rendering it necessary to shorten tliem. In 

 the beginning of the eighteenth century, various 

 agriculturists commenced a series of attempts 

 towards the improvement of this old breed, 

 which resulted in the establishment of the 

 Dishley, or new Leicester long-horn. To the 

 grazier the improvem.ent was most immediately 

 beneficial, but the dairyman preferred the old 

 stock. In process of time, however, the new 

 breed extended, improving the cattle of the 

 middle and northern counties, and especially 

 of Ireland. In its turn, however, this breed 

 has almost everywhere yielded to a middle or 

 short-horned race ; and even in Leicestershire, 

 the stronghold of the Dishley breed, few are 

 now to be seen. In Cheshire also — which, till 

 recently, retained a long-horned breed, derived 

 chiefly from the old Lancashire and new 

 Dishley stocks — the Durham or short. horned 

 race has made decided inroads, but with doubt- 

 ful advantage as respects the quality of the 

 cheese for which that county is celebrated. 



THE LEICESTERSHIRE BREED. 

 The old long-horned breed of this county 

 was endeavoured to be improved by Mr. Bake- 

 well, who here prosecuted his experin^ents ; 

 and, although he was successful in removing 

 the coarseness which characterised these ani- 

 mals, and increased their fattening capabilities, 

 he failed in either improving or establishing 



