116 



NEW ENGLAND FARMF.R, 



NOV. Jg. ](-.T. 



to the shoulder-blaile should he nearly of one 

 breadth ; and from thence it slioiild taper a little 

 to the front of the shoulder. The neck vein 

 sliould be well filled forward, to conijjlete the line 

 fi-oiii the neck to the brisket. The covering on 

 the shoulder-blade should he as full out as the 

 buttocks. The middle ribs should be well filled, 

 to conj(:lete the line from the shoulders to the but- 

 tocks along the projection of the outside of the 

 ribs. 



These constitute all the^oini* which are essen- 

 tial to a fat ox, and which it is the business of 

 the judge to know, and by which he must antici- 

 pate whether the lean one, when fed, would re- 

 alise. 



The remaining points are more applicable in 

 judging of a lean than a fat ox. 



The first of the points in judging of a lean ox, 

 is the nature of the bone. A round thick bon-; 

 indicates both a slow feeder, and an inferior de- 

 scription of flesh. A fat bone, when seen on a 

 side view, and narrow, when viewed either from 

 behind or before the animal, indicates the opposite 

 properties of a round bone. The whole bones in 

 the carcass should bear a small proportion in bulk 

 and weight to the flesh, the bones being only 

 required as a support to the flesh. 



'I'he texture of the bone should be small grained 

 and hard. The bones of the head should be fine 

 atid clean, and only covered with skin and mus- 

 «le, and not with lumjis of fat and flesh, which 

 always give a heavy-headrd appearance to an ox. 

 The fore arm arid hooks should also be clean and 

 full of muscle, to endure travelling. Large joints 

 indicate bad feeders. The neck of an ox shoidd 

 be Contrary to that of the sheep : as the stall of the 

 neck of the ox has no effect on the strength of 

 tJie spine. 



A full, clear, and prominent eye is another point 

 to be considered ; because it is a nice indication 

 of good breeding. It is always attendant on fine 

 bone. The expression of the eye is an excellent 

 ihdex of many ))roperties in the ox. A dull heavy 

 eye certainly indicates a slow feeder. A rolling 

 eye, shewing much white, is expres-sive of a rest- 

 fess capricious disposition, which is incompatible 

 with quiet feeding. A calm, complacent ex[>res- 

 iiion of eye and face is strongly indicative of a 

 sweet and patient disposition, and of course, kind- 

 hy feeding. The eye is frequently a faithful index 

 of the state of the health. A cheerful, clear eye 

 accompanies good health ; a constantly dull one 

 proves the probable existence of some internal 

 Kngering disease. The dullness of eye, arising 

 from the eflect of internal disease, is, however, 

 quite different in character from a natural or con- 

 stitutional phlegmatic dullness. 



The state of the skin is the next point to be 

 ascertained. The skin affords what is technically 

 and emphatically called, the touch, — a criterion 

 second to none in judging of the feeding projier- 

 ties of an ox. The touch inay be good or bad, 

 fine or harsh, or, as it is often termed, hard or 

 Biellow. A thick, firm skin, which is generally 

 eovered with a thick set, hard, short hair, aivvays 

 Bouches hard, and indicates a bad feeder. A thin, 

 meagre, papery skin, covered with thin silky hair, 

 being the opposite of the one just described, does 

 Hot, however, afford a good touch. Such a skin 

 ie indicative of weakness of constitution, though 

 o{ good feeding properties. A perfect touch will 

 fee foiind with a thick, loose skin, floating, as it 

 were, on a layer of soft fat, yielding to the least 



pressure, and springing back towards the fingers 

 like a piece of soft, thick chamois leather, and 

 covered with thick, glossy, soft hair. Such a 

 collection of hair looks rich and beautiful, and 

 seems warm and comfortable to the animal. It 

 is not unlike a bed of fine soft moss, and hence 

 such a skin is frequently styled " mossy." The 

 sensation derived from feeling a fine touch is 

 pleasurable, and even delightful to an amateur 

 of breeding. You cannot help liking the animal 

 that possesses a fine touch. Along with it is gen- 

 erally associated a fine symmetrical form. A 

 knowledge of touch can only be acquired by long 

 practice ; but after having acquired it, it is of it- 

 self a sufficient means of judging of the feeding 

 quality of the ox; because, when present, the 

 pro[)erties of symmetrical form, fine bone, sweet 

 disposition, and purity of blood, are the general 

 accompaniments. 



These are the essential points of judging lean 

 cattle ; but there are other and important consid- 

 erations which must claim the attention of the 

 judge, in forming a thorough judgment of the ox. 

 The proportion which the extreniities bear to 

 the body, and to one another, is one of these con- 

 siderations. The head of the ox should be small, 

 and set on the neck as if it ap|)eared to be easily 

 carried by the animal. This consideration is of 

 great importance in shewing cattle to advantage 

 in market. The face should be long from the 

 eyes to the point of the nose. No face can be 

 handsome without this feature. The skull should 

 be broad across the eyes, and only contract a little 

 above them, but should taper considerably below 

 them to the nose. The muzzle shoidd be fine 

 and small, and the nostrils capacious. The crown 

 of the head should be flat and strong, and the 

 horns should protrude horizontally from both sides 

 of it, though the direction of the growth from the 

 middle to the tip varies in the dift'erent breeds. 

 The ears should be large, stand a little erect, and 

 so thin as to reflect the sunlight through them. 

 The neck should be light, tapering from the front 

 of the shoulder and neck vein, with a gradual rise 

 from the top of the shoulder to the head. The 

 length of the neck should be in proportion to the 

 other parts of the animal ; but this a non-essential 

 ))oint ; though I would prefer an apparently short 

 neck to a long one, because it is generally well 

 covered with the neck vein. 



A droop of the neck, from the top of the shoul- 

 der to the head, indicates a weakness of constitu- 

 tion, arising frequently from breeding too near 

 akin. The legs below the knee should be rather 

 short than long, and clean made, 'ihey should 

 be placed wheie they apparently bear the weight 

 of the body mo.st easily, and they should stand 

 wide asunder. The tail should be rather thick 

 than otherwise, as thickness indicates a strong 

 s[)inc and a good weigher. It should be provided 

 with a large tuft of long hair. 



The position of the Jlesh on the carcass is an- 

 other great consideration in judging of the ox, the 

 flesh on the different ])arts of the ox being of va- 

 rious (jualities. 'ihe part called the spare-rib in 

 Edinburgh, and the fore and middle ribs in Lon- 

 don, \he loins, the rump or hook bone, are of the 

 finest quality, and are generally used for roasts and 

 steaks. Consequently the ox which ofirries the 

 largest quantity of beef on these ^ojVi<* is the most 

 valuable. Fle^^h of fine quality is actually of finer 

 texture in the fibre than coarse flesh. It also con- 

 tains fat in thq tissue between the fibres. This 



arrangement of the fat and lean gives a ricbu 

 and delicacy to the flesh. '1 he other | a 

 though not all of the same quality, are used 

 salting and making soups, and do not fetch 

 high a price as the parts just described. 



A full twist lining the division between 

 hams, called the "closing," with a thick layer 

 fat, a thick flank, and a full neck vein, are gen 

 ally indicative of tallow in the interior of the c 

 cass ; but it frequently happens, that all ih' 

 symptoms of laying on internal fat fail. The ( 

 position to lay on internal fat altogether depei 

 on the nature of the individual constitution ; 1 

 it is often observed, that those individuals vvli 

 exhibit great fattening points on the exterior, 

 not (ill with internal fat so well as others wlii 

 want these points. On the contrary, thin njf 

 oxen, with flat ribs, and large bellies, very f 

 qiiently | roducc large quantities of internal fat. 



The first part which shews the fat in a feedi 

 ox, is the point or top of the rump, which, in hi 

 bred animals, is a prominent point; sometinjet 

 protrudes too much, as the mass of fat laid 

 these is out of proportion to the lean, and the 

 fore useless to the consumer. This is the p 

 which frequently misleads young or inexperienc 

 judges in the true fatness of the ox, because 

 may be felt on this part, when it is very deficii 

 on most of the other points. 



^ he pans, on the other hand, which are t 

 last in being covered with flesh, are the point 

 the shoulder joint, and the top of the should 

 If these parts are, therefore, felt to be well cov 

 ed, the other and better parts of the animal rn 

 be considered ripe. Ripeness of condition, ho 

 ever, can only be rightly ascertained by handlii 

 for there is a great difference between the appar 

 and real fatniss of an ox. The flesh of an apj 

 rently fat ox to the eye, may, on being hand! 

 by a judge, feel loose and flabby, but a truly 

 ox aivvays feels " hard fat."- With such the butt 

 er is seldom deceived, while loose handlers g: 

 no assurance of killing well. 



It is proper, in judging of the weight of a 

 ox, to view his gait while walking towards yi 

 which will, if the ox has been well fed, be acco 

 panied with a heavy rolling tread on the groui 

 In this way a judge can at once come very uf 

 to its weight. 



The application of all these rules and considi 

 ations to the judging of lean stock, constitutes t 

 chief difliculty to the judge. An ox, in high ct 

 ditien, in so far as its condition alone is unc 

 consideration, can be judged of, as we have set 

 by any one ; and sometimes the fatness may 

 so great as obviously to deform the symmetry 

 any observer. 



The superiority of a judge to others, in the 

 cases, consists in estimating the weight, observii 

 the l)urity of the blood, and valuing the points 

 the animal. 



But in judging of a lean ox, its future conditii 

 and symmetry must be foreseen. '1 he rul 

 which I have attempted to describe, will, if studi> 

 practically, enable an inquiring observer to foB 

 see these points: and in judging between a nuii 

 her of valuable points, it shoidd be remembert 

 the purity of breeding will aivvays insure aptitU' 

 to fatten, which, in its turn, will insure the largt 

 remuneration for the food consumed. 



Sheep, both fat and lean, may be judged of I 

 nearly the same rules. The purity of breedii 

 will be seen in the large, full, prominent eyes, tl 



