THE DEVON 323 



eastern breeders lay emphasis on the dairy value of the breed, 

 as does, in fact, the Devon cattle association. 



The size of the Devon accordingly shows considerable variation. 

 Naturally Devons are of the smaller class as seen in beef-cattle 

 classes in America, and this is one objection that has been raised 

 against the breed in this country, together with the fact that 

 the steers will not fatten as rapidly as some of the other kinds. 

 Mature cows, according to Sinclair, weigh from 1300 to 1500 

 pounds and bulls from 1500 to 2100. 



The Devon as a butcher's beast does not attain the high weights 

 of the common beef breeds, nor does it fatten as rapidly as some, 

 but kills out extremely well, with small bone and moderate offal, 

 producing the best of beef, fine of grain and of superior quality. 

 Devons in the past have made a good record at the British fat 

 stock shows, often winning high honors. This applies in particu- 

 lar to the beef type of north Devon. The modern breeders of 

 that section agree that to increase the size will injure the quality, 

 and therefore refuse to do so. Sinclair notes one English Devon 

 breeder, whose specialty is steer breeding, who reckons that the 

 weight of a fat Devon steer a little under three years old should 

 be about 800 pounds. In 1891 the first-prize Devon steer at the 

 Smithfield Club Show, London, "not exceeding two years old," 

 was 558 days old and had a live weight of 964 pounds. 



Devons as milk producers rank very well. Many New England 

 farmers keep Devon grades or pure-breds, from which they often 

 secure fair yields. The milk is rich in fat, comparing favorably 

 with that of the Jerseys. The breed is essentially unknown in 

 competitive dairy tests in this country. In the American Devon 

 Record are numerous examples showing that many cows of the 

 breed are ample dairy producers. E. C. Bliss states that his full- 

 grown cows yield an average of 300 pounds of butter a year. 

 J. W. Collins writes : "I have one cow, Lucky 3784, that has 

 produced 2\ pounds of butter per day for weeks, and I have 

 frequently had others that have made 2\ to 2\ pounds per day." 

 Wallace states that as a breed for milk production " it has 

 been and still is inferior. The cows give but a small quantity 

 of milk and tend to go dry early." Alvord, who knew the breed 

 well, states that some families bred and selected for dairy 



