No. 8. 



The Anglesey, or North Wales Ox. 



249 



THE ANGLESEY, OR NORTH WALES OX. 



The Anglesey cattle are small and black, with moderate bone, deep chest, round barrel, 

 high and spreading haunches ; the face flat, with the horns long, and almost invariably 

 turning somewhat upwards. The hair is apparently coarse, but the hide is mellow; they 

 are peculiarly hardy, easy to rear, and well disposed to fatten. The young of this breed, 

 have little more than hay-tea and gruel, with the common broth of the house to subsist 

 on ; and when reared, are in a manner totally abandoned ; their best treatment being, oat 

 or barley-straw, scarcely enough to keep them from starving, while folded in an unshel- 

 tered yard ; the face of the country and the nature of the soil affording but little provision 

 for winter feeding. Such treatment would deteriorate any breed, less hardy than that of 

 the Island of Anglesey ; the practice of the middling and small farmers, and indeed many 

 of the largest, of selling off their best yearling heifers and keeping the poorest only, for 

 the dairy and breeding, and the culpable and general neglect of selecting good bull calves, 

 as also the want of proper enclosures, by which the steers could be kept from the rest of 

 the stock, contribute to increase the deterioration. Many experiments have been tried, 

 in order to improve the breed, but it was difficult to find another race sufficiently hardy, 

 to withstand the climate and privations to which they were exposed; and although the 

 first cross mfght seem to effect a change for the better, the native Anglesey blood would 

 predominate, and the produce breed back ; and after a few generations, there would be 

 the original breed again, scarcely altered ; or if so, for the worse, by being deprived of a 

 portion of its hardihood. It is true, the cross with the Lancashire bull would give an in- 

 crease of size, amounting to 50 pounds per quarter, when three years old, and even a pro- 

 pensity to fatten quickly; but generally speaking, no permanent improvement has been 

 derived from crossing; but dearly-bought experience has forced upon the breeder this 

 truth, that it is false economy to starve a growing breed. 



The Anglesey cattle are principally destined for grazing ; great numbers of them are 

 purchased and prepared for the Smithfield market, where their size — an intermediate 

 rank between the English breeds and the smaller varieties of Scotch cattle, renders them 

 an object much sought after : and if they are somewhat longer in preparing for the 

 market, than some of the favourite English breeds and the Scotch, they often pay more 

 at last; and they will thrive where an English beast would starve. The North Wales 

 cattle were formerly used very extensively for the plough ; they were docile and hardy, 

 strong, active and willing; but would have been better adapted to the purpose of draught, 

 if longer in the leg and less deep in the chest. They have a peculiarly noble appear- 

 ance, a stateliness of gait and a haughtiness of countenance; a projection of the breast 

 and lofty bearing of the head, not recognized in any other breed, and strikingly in contrast 

 with the mild intelligence of the Devon, and the quiet submission of the Hereford. No 

 more cows are kept for the dairy, than are sufficient for the home consumption. 



