136 



Proper Form and Shape of Cattle. 



Vol. II. 



um, Lantana mutabilis, Daphne hybrida, Co- 

 rea speciosa, Erica vernix, Erica gracilis, Me- 

 trosidros semperflorens, and Camellia Rosa 

 uundi. 



Andrew Dryburgh exhibited Tillandsia amoe- 

 ma, Cactus Ackerniania, Fuschia microphylla, 

 Salvia Involucrata, Daphne Indica, Correa 

 speciosa, Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis Lutea, White 

 and variegated Camellias. 



John Sherwood. Laurel Hill, exhibited Cac- 

 tus Ackermania, Epacris Grandiflora, Tillandsia 

 Pallida, Correa speciosa, and Eriocoma fra- 

 grans. 



Alexander Parker exhibited twenty-nine va- 

 rieties of Chrysanthemums, in sets, and some 

 pears and apples. 



A basket of very fine pears, (German green,) 

 was exhibited by Robert Kilvington. 



The roon^ had a fine appearance that evening, 

 from the display of well selected and rare plants. 

 The Maxilliaria Picta, and Oncidium Flexuo- 

 sum, in full flower, sent by Mr. Buist, are 

 most interesting orchidous parasites from South 

 America, many of them are very fragrant and 

 beautiful to the sight Indeed, most of the 

 plants enumerated above, were of the best kind, 

 and in full bloom. The Eriocoma fragrans, 

 sent by Mr. Sherwood, is a fine syngeneceous 

 plant, fiom New Holland, and is beheved to he 

 the first that has been exhibited to the Society. 



Thirty-six new members were elected that 

 evening. 



G. Watsos, Rcc. Sec. 



PhiladeUihia, Nov. 27, 1837. 



Proper Foi-ni and Sliapc of Ca,ttlc» 



With all the lightness of the Devonshire 

 ox, there is a point about him, disliked in 

 the blood or riding-horse, and not always 

 approved in the horse of light draught, — the 

 legs are far under the chest, or rather the 

 brta^t projects far and wide before the legs. 

 We see the advantage of this in the beast of 

 slow draught, who rarely breaks into a trot, 

 except when he is goaded on in catchi7ig times, 

 and the divison of whose foot secures him 

 from stumbling. The lightness of the other 

 parts of his form, however, counterbalances 

 the appearance of heaviness here. 



The legs are straight, at least in the best 

 breeds. If they are in-kneed, or crooked in 

 the fore-legs, it argues a deficiency in blood, 

 and comparative incapacity for work ; and 

 not only for work, but for grazing too, for 

 they will be hollow behind the withers, a 

 point for which nothing can compensate, be- 

 cause it takes away so much from the place 

 where good flesh and fat should be thickly 

 laid on, and diminshes the capacity of the 

 chest and the power of creating arterial and 

 iiutritous blood. 



The fore-arm is particularly large and 

 powerful. It swells out suddenly above the 

 knee, but is soon lost in the substance of the 



shoulder. ^ Below the knee the bone is small 

 to a very extraordinary degree, indicating a 

 seeming of want of strength ; but this im- 

 pression immediately ceases, for the small- 

 ness is only in front — it is only the bone: 

 the leg is deep, and the sinews are far re- 

 moved from the bone. It is the leg of the 

 blood-horse, promising both strength and 

 speed ."f It may perhaps be objected that 

 the leg is a little too long. It would be so in 

 an animal that is destined only to graze ; 

 but this is a working animal; and some 

 length of leg is necessary to get him pleas- 

 antly and actively over the ground. 



There is a trifling fall behind the withers, 

 but no hoUowness, and the line of the back 

 is straight from them to the setting on of the 

 tail. If there is any seeming fault in the 

 beast, it is that the sides are a little too flat. 

 It will appear, however, that this does not 

 interfere with feeding, while a deep, although 

 somewhat flat chest is best adapted for 

 speed. 



Not only is the breast broad and the chest 

 deep, but the two last ribs are particularly 

 bold and prominent, leaving room for the 

 stomachs and other parts concerned in di- 

 gestion to be fully developed. The hips, or 

 buckles are high, and on a level with the 

 back, whether the beast is fat or lean. The 

 hind quarters, or the space from the buckle 

 to the point of the rump, are particularly long, 

 and well filled up — a point likewise of very 

 considerable importance both for grazing 

 and working. It leaves room for flesh in 

 the most valuable part, and, like the exten- 

 sive and swelling quarters of the blood-horse, 

 indicate much power behind, equally con- 

 nected with strength and speed. This is an 



*[t is sometimes not a little amusing to observe the 

 seeming contrariety of opinion between excellent 

 jndges of cattle, and that on the very essential points of 

 their conformation ; and yet, vvlien the matter is prop- 

 erly explained, the slight shade of difference there is 

 between them. We have now lying before us letters 

 from two very skilful Devonshire farmers. They have 

 been so obliging as to give us their opinion as to the 

 points of the Devonshire nx. One insists upon that, on 

 which we confess we should lay very great stress, and 

 without which we should reckon any beast almost 

 valueless, namely, sn all bones under the knee, and a 

 clean neck and throat. This gentleman we have the 

 pleasure of knowing ; he has been improving the size and 

 weight of the Devonshire ox, anxiously preserving these 

 points: nay, we know that he did steal a cross from one 

 of the finest-boned and lightest Herefords he could pro- 

 cure. The other has sound principles of breeding, but 

 he is a man of the old school : he had been educated in 

 the belief that what the calls he true fevons are unri- 

 valled, and he would deem it a kindof sacrilege to debase 

 their bloud by a cross with any other breed ; yet exper- 

 ience has yet lauglithim iu'spiteofall his prejudices, and 

 althouah he will not own it, that the old Devons have 

 their faults, and, among tliem, too much flatness of 

 chest and general lightness; he is beside a tillage farm- 

 er, ile tells us that he does not like a line neck, because 

 it is accompanied by too narrow and li^hta breast, and 

 that he does like large bones, because they will carry 

 more meat. Why, these gentlemen were, in a measure, 

 both right, hut their observations referred to cattle, 

 which although Dovons, were essentially different. 



