No. 6. 



The Angus Cote. 



177 



THE ANGUS COW. 



The origin of the Angus-shire Scotch breed, of polled cattle, is so remote, that no ac- 

 count of their introduction into the country can be obtained from the oldest inhabitant ; 

 some of the first qualities which attracted the attention of the improvers of this valuable 

 breed, were their peculiar quietness and docility; the ease with which they were kept, 

 and the few losses which were incurred while confined in their stalls, from this circum- 

 stance ; as also, the convenience of disposing of a great number of them in the same 

 space of stable room ; their natural fitness for stall-feeding, and the rapidity with which 

 they lay on fat. This has brought them into much repute in their own market, as well 

 as in England, whither they are sent in numerous droves, for the supply of Smithfield 

 market, under the denomination of Galloways. They are usually fed off at three years 

 old, and reach to an average weight of 840 lbs. The greater part of them are black, or 

 with a few white spots; next, yellow or dun, brindled, and silver yellow. They are a 

 most valuable breed, and have rapidly gained ground on the horned cattle of that part of 

 the country; and when the agriculturist speaks of the Angus breed, he refers to the polled, 

 and not to the horned species. 



The preceding cut is the portrait of a heifer, bred and fattened by Mr. Watson ; she 

 was exhibited at the Perth show, and obtained the medal for extra stock of superior quality. 

 At the Smithfield Society's show, she also received the medal, in the class of extra stock; 

 and the Highland Society requested that she might be sent there, as a specimen of the 

 excellence to which this breed of cattle could be made to arrive: she was then four years 

 and a half old. She was publicly exhibited for a considerable time before she was slaugh- 

 tered, and realized a large sum for her owners. She was out of a very small cow, with 

 a remote dash of Guernsey blood, yet retaining all the best features of the pure Angus 

 breed ; the bone of her fore-leg, which is still preserved, is not thicker than that of a red 

 deer, and she was exceedingly active to the last. When slaughtered, her breast was not 

 quite eight inches clear of the ground, and her inside fat was equal in weight, to a quar- 

 ter of her whole weight of beef; her dead weight being 1,800 pounds, although it was 

 imagined she had not arrived at her point of extreme weight. 



The quantity of milk yielded by this favourite breed of cattle, is various. In the hilly 

 district, from two to three gallons per day ; but it is very rich : in the lowlands, they will 

 give five gallons a day; they were once considered about the best breed of dairy cows in 

 Scotland ; but since the breed has been more improved, and greater attention has been 

 paid to the fattening qualities, they have fallen off in their character for the pail. Many 

 of these cows are kept for suckling calves ; they are selected for this purpose, so as to 

 calve in January or February, when a stransrer-calf of the same age is procured, and both 

 are suckled by her until the 1st of May, when they are weaned, and two others are pro- 

 cured ; these suck until the 1st of August, and are then weaned, when a single calf is 

 put into the pen and fatted for the butcher, the season being then too late for rearing; 

 when the cow, having suckled Jive calves, is let off her milk. 



