Oxen.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



In Soraereetshire the Devon breed prevails, or at 

 least the original breed has been greatly crossed by 

 the Devon of which it presents most of the excel- 

 lences. The Somersetshire cattle are ahke valu- 

 able lor '-the pail, the plough, and grazin.' " The 

 tract of country between Bridgewater and Cross 

 produces cheese of well-known excellence; the best 

 Cheddar cheese is made either in that tract or the 

 marshes round Glastonbuiy. 



The Hereford improved breed, with white faces, 

 IS valuable as fattening rapidly, and that on inferior 

 lare ; ttie ilesh is flne-grained, and highly prized in 

 the market : the cows, however, yield but a scanty 

 portion of milk. In Gloucestershire the Hereford's 

 are preferred for the team, and by graziers for fat- 

 tening ; but the old Gloucester breed for milk 

 This old breed is of mixed origin, consisting of a 

 race of Welsh descent, as is supposed, crossed by 

 various others, and among them the Alderney. The 

 rich Vale of Berkeley produces the iinest Gloucester 

 cheese. 



The breed of cattle in Sussex closely resembles 

 that of Devonshire : according to judges it is inter- 

 mediate between the Devon and Hereford, " having 

 the activity of the first, the strength of the second 

 and the propensity to fatten and the beautiful fine- 

 grained flesh of both." Its colour is deep chestnut 

 red, or blood-bay, and a deviation from these colours 

 indicates a cross. In the Weald of Sussex oxen of 

 this valuable stock are generally used for team- 

 work ; and so great is their strength and quickness 

 that many teams have been known to travel with 

 heavy loads fifteen miles a-day, for several successive 

 weeks and that without distress. The Sussex cow I 

 as IS the case with the Devon and Hereford is verv 

 inferior in size to the bull ; and though the milk 

 yielded is good, it is of trifling quantity 



A valuable breed of middles-horned cattle extends 

 through South Wales, and of this the Glamorgan- 

 shire variety is highly celebrated. The oxen are 



oTmilk ""'' ''"' ''°"'' ^'''''^ ^ '''''■ quantity 



Fig. 6D9 presents specimens of the following 

 breeds :-a, the old Craven bull ; b, the Shropshirl 

 ox ;c, the new Leicester bull; d, the Devon cow; 

 e the Hereford bull;/ the Hereford cow; a the 

 bussex cow. -' 



The most extensively difi-used breed of cattle on 

 our IS and, and by far the most valuable, is that 



i*;™!! V I''*^°'''^,'l''"'=''°"' *he shoit-horned, and 

 01 which the central bull in Fig. 701 is an example 

 presenting every point in the highest excellency 

 _ Of his breed England may justly be proud; in it 

 IS united a,s far as possible every good quality. The 

 term is admirable; the oxen fatten quickly, and 

 often attain to an enormous weight, and the cows 

 are excellent as milkers. 



It would appear that Durham and some parts of 

 Yorkshire had long possessed a breed of short- 

 iiorned cattle of large size, and celebrated for the 

 quanti y of milk yielded by the cows , but this breed 

 not only in figure, but in aptitude to fatten and in 



J^!„,^"tl''-'' °^ **!" '*"'''' '«1"'^«'l ?«at improve- 

 ment, other races lar excelling it in these points, so 

 important to the grazier. This stock still lin-ers 

 and IS certainly valuable to the dairy farmer, who 

 might however, substitute the improved breed for it 

 with advantage. It is about 80 years since the im- 

 proved f ock of this old but really fine breed beg^n 

 to be established on the banks of the Tees, ow!n" 

 to the judgment and care of the intelligent breeder 

 of that district. It diff-ers from the old short hom^ 

 n possessing a well-developed figure, and in apti- 



i^..?l. ° ""T^'.u'- ^\^ *f ' ^'^P °f ™Provemen , 

 resulting from the practical knowledge of Mr Mill 

 Dank and other coadjutors, opened the way for the 

 successful exertions of subsequent spirited breeders 

 who, by pursuing a judicious plan in crossing, have 

 brought the breed to the highest pitch of perfection 

 tZZ^ hT ""^^f".,!' 's supposed that the white 

 wild breed has contnbuted a share, and to this cir 

 cumstance is attributed the prevalence of white as' 

 characteristic of the stock. i^i wniie as 



Among the most successful of improvers was Mr 



hi'K^ '"^Ju"*"" '"■^'^ "'^ celebrated Durham ox ex- 

 hibited in the years 1801-5-6, the produce of one of 

 the ordinary short-horned cows and a bull termed 

 Favourite of noble figure. At five years old!Tays 

 the excellent author of the work on cattle "the 

 Durham ox was sol.l to Mr. Bulmer, of Ha'rmley 

 J!?; Bed^'e. for public exhibition, at the price ^f 

 t40/. This was in February, 1801. He was at that 

 •mie computed to weigh 168 stones of 14 lbs Ws 



wllhTd"!' '""'-' -'" ^•°"'=«-- *'>- extraordinary 

 weight did not arise Irom his superior size, but from 

 the excessive ripeness of all his points." The Dur- 

 ham ox in a short time passed into the possession of 

 Mr J, Day, who travelled with him through the 



Ox?or'rthrith°'A"^,'""^ ""'^ Scotland, ^till at 

 his h Ihnl I "^ i'^'^^fy- IW, he dislocated 

 his hip-bone and continued in that state till the 15th 

 of April, when he was obliged to be slaua-htPrprl 

 and. notwithstanding he must have l^t consfderabi; 



w3<.H ,h Z'^''* ^^^^^ "f '""«'^' his carcass 

 weighed, the four quarters 165 stones 12 lbs., tallow 

 11 stones 2 lbs., and hide 10 stones 2 lbs 



Among the most remarkable of Mr. Colline's ex- 

 periments in breeding, was that of a cross bftween 

 the improved short-horns and a polled Galloway 

 cow, which being interbred with the pure short^ 

 horned stock, gave origin to a breed called the 

 Alloy a term at first given by way of disparage- 

 ment, but continued afterwards when the exc'el- 

 iences ot the breed were acknowledged. Some idea 



saleof'MrV'^In^'^?'^"^^'^.''™'"*'^'^ '■^''f' 'hat at a 

 sale of Mr. Colling s cattle forty-eight animals (cows, 



bu k yejir-old bu l-calves, and heifer-calves) realized 

 sand guineas '"" "'""^'^ ^"""^^ '"''^ "'^ ^ "">"- 

 Of the Alloy breed was the stock, or part of the 

 stock, of the late Rev. H. Berry; the figure of the 

 cows was excellent in every respect, and their milk- 

 ng quality is stated to have been by no means of 

 low degree. 



.tnlT",^*!,'"' ™°'' celebrated of the short-horned 

 T li" AUK P'''''*"* ''*>'' 'hat in the possession of 

 J^ord Althorp is one ol the most distinguished It 

 was originally derived from the stock of Mr. R 

 Lolling and no pains have been spared in bringing 

 It to the highest excellence. A celebrated bull, 

 belonging to this nobleman, and which is known 

 under the cognomen of Firby, may be regarded as 



"hT^"^ °V''* ^'""^- " '» ^ peculiariFy in this 

 short-horned race, that the cows are excellent as 

 milkers, and moreover that when dried they fatten 



thfuJf'nh \ °*f "' ^' '' !' acknowledged, are fit for 

 the bu Cher at the age of two years; but this ten- 

 dency to acquire fat renders them indolent workers 

 and more unfitted for the team than other breeds • 

 a circumstance of little consequence, as cattle which 

 aie profitable to the breeder at two years old, and 



I llZr'^l '°^'^' ''"'Cher at this age as those of 

 any other breed at three or even four, ought never 

 to be submitted to the yoke. The bulls indeed 



I being extremely docile, may be employed with adi 

 l^T^u" ""^"^ oP^^ations going on in every farm, 

 a plan the more advisable as they are apt to acauire 



diminish ' "''''''' '^°'^''"''' '"^""^ '^°^^'^ '«"'' t° ! 

 It must not be supposed that every breed of short- ' 

 teristlf T^ -.-endowed with the q^l.ties charac- 

 Shlp Th ""PT"' '*"'''''• ^hich render it so 

 valuable. There is, for example, a breed of short- 

 liorned catt e in Lincolnshire, with which the Smith- 

 fied market IS abundantly supplied; but, the cattle 

 ot this stock are by no means first-rate animals; the 

 head IS not finely modelled, the bone is compara- 

 tively large, the limbs hi<rh, and the hips wid7 In 

 many instances the stock has been improved by 

 tZ 1 ""i*^^ T'^ hi^hly-bred animals, and ren- 

 dered valuable but the flesh is not finegrained. 

 On the whole these cattle are better adaptet? lor the 

 dairy-tarmer than the grazier, as the cows yield a 

 fair quantity of milk. •' 



Among the short-horned race must be enumerated 

 that singular breed of cattle called Alderneys, which 

 has gained, and deserves, a degree of celebrity from 

 the peculiar richness of the milk afforded by the 

 ''°T:^. These cattle are originally from Normandy 

 "" V V /'.' 5"'"' °" ,'h« ^'■'^"ch coast, from one of 

 which (Alderney) they take their name. They are 



hpm •"1i"'k' r'™^""^ 'haped, with a peculiar 

 bendmtheback, and in every point more or less 

 detective. The milk yielded is not great in quantity, 

 but abounds with butter; and it is from its richness 

 that these animals are favourites. Improbable as it 

 might seem from the apjiearance of the Alderney 

 its apt, ude to fatten is remarkable ; even the cows 

 when dried, soon gain flesh, and even acquire con- 

 siderable weight. It is chiefly in pleasure-grounds 

 and the paddocks attached to the houses of per.sons 

 not engaged in farming for profit, that cows of this 

 breed are to be seen. In Hampshire alone the 

 Alderney breed is general, constituting the stock of 

 he farmer. It would appear that it is more suited 

 to the pasturage of that county than others which 

 require richer grazing grounds, consume a lar^e 

 S^ofmilk' *""'"^' ^"'^ ''*''"''" * '^'^proportionate sup- 

 Our cut (Fig. 701) represents the followin<r •_ 

 a, cow ol the Alderney breed ; b, bull of the same 

 i> if' ^ '=°"' °^'he Alloy breed belonging to the 

 Key. Mr. Berry ; d. Lord Althorp's celebrated short- 

 horned bull Firby ; e, a cow of the same stock : f, a 

 i)olled or hornless cow ; .9, a short-horned cow of the 

 West Highland breed ; A, a Glamorganshire cow ; i 

 improved Lincolnshire ox -j, bull of the Alloy breed • 

 *, Yorkshire cow. With respect to other breeds of 



thnn'^nTh H^ M ^1' ««"• nothinff, we may observe 

 that in the Highlands of Scotland a race of small 

 black cattle prevails, of which large herds are 

 driven southwards, and depastured in the grazin- 

 ands ot England. Of these numbers are brought 

 to the London market. Of this race many varieties 

 nOh w . I7^'"''>' particularize the Kyloes 

 of the Western Islands and the Hebrides: they are 



159 



small, but hardy and well-formedThriving on coarse 

 m at'" TSff"" fine-grained and hig^-flavour^d 

 meat. Ihe diff'erent islands of the Hebrides con 

 tain, says Mr. Youatt, "about one hundred and 

 hlty thousand of these cattle, of which it is calcu- 

 ated that one-fifth are annually sent to the main 

 he i r^Ti^y "".""Sh .Jura, o% across the fery of 

 heL fh °' ^''^'- K'^'''^ ■■"^"■■'^'^ about 51. Lr 

 thefentaLnh°""l^'" I"" ,^^"'"""'- "'■ "'°'« tlmn 

 Sated J inr^^on/''?"^''' ^^^ich Mr. Macdonald 

 greatef sum °.^H^° i; ^"} ''^''^ "°" P'°J"ce a 

 commodr^f n ^ '"?^°'''' constitute the staple 

 hundred L'' Hebrides. Three thousand fiVe 

 Isky alone'" '^ ^ '"P'"*''^ ^'°'^ '^e island of 

 thin thn"°''i■^K^'^'■Sy'«^hire the cattle are larger 



£e w'hi° h tl e n ^''^'•''•'^' ''"'' ^--c h'-e'i to the Ibl 

 qual ties nf h ^"'^''""Se will admit and the good 

 It 1st th i di . ■T.T^ ^''''' "''thout deterioration: 



cluir,^i^\t'nett'';: „"'%'}!r p^'r "■^^'^"'^ 



pactlv built «hn,f I ., ^'^^ animals are com- 

 nof onlv 1 "lu ^° '^"''hfy them for the dairy wi 1 



HE ■ 0?ir«* -^-k4s: 



fn,; tl' ^ , P'"'.' "f Ayrshire and Dumfriesf form- 

 ing the old province of Galloway, a beautilulnolled 

 or hornless breed of cattle exist's, highly e"temed 

 for their many excellences. In fi|ure they are 



a£'sTto:;tr'rp*!"^" v^^' ^^^^ .-ck'of ihe b.ir 



chTan auH h V ii"' '^'^ '^"'^ '^ ''^^p, the limbs 

 round RI^M '• ^t ^'''^' ^"'^'Sht, and the body 

 round. Black is the prevailing colour. These 



cattle Pl?""-t'^L''"'^ *''"'" fl«'* is excellent f -'Few 

 cattle sell so high in the Smithfield market, and ,T 



buC.k?'.7"fr "^'"" '° ''' ""« of these little 

 th rn^h th 1 ' "■ ^'''■^'^ Lincolnshire bullock, al- 

 though the latter IS heavier by several stones." 



the Galloway cattle are remarkable for gentle- 

 ness; and robust and muscular as the bulls afe, one 

 of mschievous habits and bad temper is seldom met 



alt^-^^'f^u'' Aberdeenshire, Perthshire, and 

 other districts have then- peculiar breeds. In Wales 

 severa breeds of cattil are found; in the I e 



b a^ tt't? "''';? '^ ^ ^"^ ™'=c °f middle-horned 

 hlack cattle, with a deep chest, heavy shoulders 

 enormous dewlap, and round body. The appear: 

 ance ot the bulls of this breed is very nobirand 

 mpos ng. the expression of the head is animated, 

 IhtX ''^Z ^'™'' ' ^"'^ *his character is not lost 

 that^unt'rH" ^)\°''Vl ^""^ ''°^^- I' "* calculated 

 fmm fh ,°'i'" thousand are annually exported 

 Ijom this island. The flesh of these cattle is of 



B, 1 . ,. '■•'^ iicsu ui uiese cauie is of 



fnnnJr ? f'^''!^' /'"^ ""serous inferior crosses or 



amfof ''1' of "oubtful origin, into which the 



cattk of our island have ramified, need no especial 



.tTl^'v^ represents an Exhibition of Prize-Cattle, 

 at the Horse Bazaar, Portman Square, London. 



Ihis annual exhibition, by the Smithfield Cattle 

 en^a;r'H '"'cresting not only to those immediately 

 who '^^flppt ''^'■'"'Itural pursuits, but to every oni 

 who reflec s upon the importance of the ox in a 

 commercial sense, independently of every other 

 consideration. Here are to beSeen tlie^e°uhs 

 ot exertions principally carried on during the last 

 eighty years to unite and bring to perfection the 

 most desirable points in the various breeds of do- 



TtnLr'TA "■*'!"'?,''"' °"°c peculiar to diff-er- 

 ent parts of Great Britain, but are now spread in 

 the r improved lorm over every part of the country, 

 in the gallery, a jiortion of which overlooks the 

 show-yard, are to be seen agricultural implements 

 and machinery of the latest and most improved con- 

 struction; roots and plants adapted to our climate, 

 but which are as yet comparatively unknown ; spe^ 

 cimens of artificial manures, and of the soils of 

 districts differing from each other in their geologi- 

 cal formation. In spite of all the advances which 

 agricu tiire has made during the present century, 

 now slowly do improvements extend beyond the 

 intelligent circle in which they are first adopted • 

 and It IS one of the great advantages of institu^ 

 tions such as the Smithfield Club, to spread them 

 more rapidly and widely by drawing the agricul- 

 turist from the secluded scenes in which he carries 

 on his occupations, and bringing them before him 

 in the manner best calculated to demonstrate their 



A prize ox or sheep is fatter than the ordinary 

 TJ^^I^ '■cq"";c«' aid hence it is often supposed 

 that the stimulus ot prizes for bringing an animal 

 into a state ot unnecessary fatness is altogether a 

 work ol supererogation. But tne power of reaching 

 an excessive size is simply a test. A piece of -rtil- 



