1868. 



^TEW ENGLAND FAEMER, 



605 



fact, I suspect is not generally known. It 

 would seem as if common politeness ought to 

 be sufficient to enforce the practice, did we 

 not have such abundant evidence to the con- 

 trary in our experience. 



The law also requires that we should not 

 stop our teams in the middle of the road, 

 which is designed for travelling purposes only. 

 We have no right to obstruct it. These are 

 the principal provisions of the law respecting 

 travelled highways. K. o. 



Broad Brook, Ct., 1868. 



Remarks. — We cannot endorse the advice 

 of our correspondent against submitting dis- 

 putes and controversies to arbitration. Judg- 

 es and juries are liable to err as well as ref- 

 erees, and we believe that it is far better for 

 neighbors to adjust their differences among 

 themselves than to Incur the expense and de- 

 lay of a law-suit. 



THE DEVONS. 



This beautiful race has been considered, by 

 some authors, aboriginal, and are claimed to 

 have been known in England at the time of its 

 invasion by the Romans. It is certain that 

 their fineness of limb, uniformity of color, del- 

 icacy of proportion, and depth of breeding, 

 give them claims to a distinction which no other 

 race of English cattle exhibit ; and be the fact 

 of their remote origin as it may, there is no ne- 

 cessity of disputing it, or speculating on other 

 probabilities. They are like no others, and 

 by no intermixture of any other known breeds 

 have they been, or can thiy be produced. 



In what degrees of excellence the Devons 

 existed during past centuries, we are unable to 

 say ; but that they possessed valuable qualities 

 which endeared them strongly to the people 

 who bred them is certain. Great attention has 

 been paid to their improvement during a cen- 

 tury past, and probably not neglected for cen- 

 turies before. Not a single infusion of the 

 blood of other known cattle can be detected 

 in tht-m, and for their improvement, as Devons, 

 rone otiier can be devised. In the good ju('g- 

 ment, sagacity, skill, care, and pains-taking of 

 their breeders alone, must be sought the means 

 by which they stand in their present condition 

 of excellence and beauty. 



Description. 



The head — lean in flesh, is rather short, the 

 forehead broad, the face slightly dishing, and 

 tapering gracefully to a fine, clean yellow muz- 

 zle. The eye — bright, prominent, and sur- 

 rounded by a ring of orange colored, or yellow 

 skin. The horn — upright, and curving out- 

 ward, cream colored, black at the tips, grace- 

 ful in its setting, and rather long, for the size 

 of the animal. The ear — well set, and lively 

 in action. The neck — on a level (in the bull 



slightly arching) with the head and shoulders ; 

 full at its junction with the breast, clean, and 

 without dewlap. The shoulders — fine, open, 

 (somewhat slanting, like those of the horse,) 

 and on a level with the back. The neck-vein 

 — full, and smooth. The arm — delicate, and 

 the leg below the knee, small, terminating in 

 a clean, dull brown, and somewhat striped 

 hoof The brisket — full, and projecting well 

 forward. The crops — well filled, and even 

 with the shoulders. The back — straight from 

 the shoulders to the tail. The ribs — springing 

 out roundly from the back, and running low 

 down, to enclose a full chest, and setting well 

 back towards the hips, giving a snug, neat 

 belly. The flanks — full, and low. The hips — 

 wide, and level with the back. The loin — full, 

 and level. The thigh — well fleshed and full, 

 the lower part somewhat thin, and gracefully 

 tapering to the hock ; the leg below, small, 

 flat, and sinewy. The twist — (the space be- 

 tween the thighs) well let down, and open. 

 The tail — taper, like a drum stick, and termin- 

 ating with a brush of white hair. The color — 

 invariably a cherry red, sometimes showing a 

 lighter, or deeper shade, and the skin, under 

 the hair, a rich cream color. The bull, of 

 course, will show the stronger and masculine 

 character of his sex, while the ox will develop 

 the finer points of his condition, and the cow, 

 all the delicacy and refinement belonging to 

 her race. 



In the roundness, and fulness which accom- 

 pany the proper development of the points 

 named, the silky, wavy laying of the hair, and 

 the elastic touch of the flesh, as the finger is 

 pressed upon it, every beholder will at once 

 see, in appearance, a most bloodlike and grace- 

 ful animal. 



In size, the Devon is medium, compared 

 with our native cattle. A well grown ox, in 

 good working condition, will range from 1400 

 to 1600 pounds, live weight. The bull from 

 1000 to 1200, and the cow from 800 to 1000 

 pounds. They sometimes exceed the heaviest 

 of these weights, but such are the average. 

 Fatted to a high degree, they will, of course, 

 weigh heavier. In size, it is said, in England, 

 that they are larger than they were a hundred 

 years ago, before the attention of their breed- 

 ers was thoroughly attracted to their improve- 

 ment. From time immemorial they were 

 chiefly bred in the northerly part of Devon- 

 shire, (and thus called North Devons,) one of 

 the southwestern counties, in a mild climate, 

 abounding in good pasturage. They have 

 since spread into the adjoining counties, and 

 many years ago, (within the present century,) 

 were taken into the higher county of Norfolk, 

 on the Eastern Coast, by the late Earl of Lei- 

 cester, (then the noted Mr. Coke, of Holk- 

 ham, a distinguished farmer, and landed pro- 

 prietor,) as he considered them eminently 

 fitted for grazing on the light sandy soil of his 

 estates. They are now bred in many other 

 counties of England, and are decided favorites 



