1851. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



89 



GALLOWAY CATTLE. 



The Galloway Polled Cattle we once much admired 

 as we saw them exhibited in the Smithfield Show. 

 Indeed, they appeared to have more admirers than 

 any other breed. The favorite color is black; and it 

 is stated that the darkiness of color indicates hardi- 

 ness of constitution. The following description is 

 by Martin, the celebrated English author : 



TAT GALLOWAY OX. 



" The semi-wild cattle of Chatelherault Park, in 

 Lanarkshire, the descendants of an ancient race, are 

 mostly, if not always polled ; and probably the pres- 

 ent polled black cattle of Galloway may be derived 

 from the same ancestry. 



" F )rmerly, few polled cattle were to be seen in 

 this district of Scotland ; but within the last century 

 the breed has greatly prevailed, and it is highly val- 

 ued. Occasionally, cattle make their appearance 

 with very minute or rudimentary horns, attached, 

 however, to the skin merely, and not sheathing a 

 bony core, indications of a tendency 

 to the acquisition of these natural 

 weapons ; and were the point to be 

 followed up by the breedsr, these 

 might be soon restored. The breed- 

 er, however, is interested in keeping 

 his polled Galloways pure ; they are 

 in great request by the grazier, they 

 are of considerable size, fatten read- 

 ily, accumulating flesh on the best 

 parts ; they are less wild than the 

 horned black cattle, and less quar- 

 relsome, and under certain circum- 

 stances, as on ship-board, may be 

 packed somewhat closer than the 

 others. 



"A well-bred Galloway ox is of 

 admirable form ; all is close and 

 compact ; the barrel is rounded and 

 ribbed home to the hip-bones ; the 

 chest is deep, the shoulders thick and 

 broad ; the neck short and thick ; 



the head clean ; the back straight and broad ; the 

 limbs short, but extremely muscular ; the skin mod- 

 erate, but mellow, and well covered with long soft 

 hair,— that on the ears, which are large, is peculiarly 

 rough and lono-. 



<' In the bull, the head is heavy, the neck thick 

 and boldly erected above ; the frontal crest or rido-e 

 is elevated and covered with long hair ; and the 

 genera! form is robust, with great depth of chest and 

 roundness of barrel. 



"The cow is much lighter, but 

 ^, yet presents those points which 



attract the regard of the grazier. 

 As a milker she is inferfor ; for 

 though her milk is rich, it is de- 

 ficient in quantity, and on the 

 average will not amount to more 

 than six or eight quarts per day, 

 during the summer months, after 

 which it rapidly diminishes. — 

 This inferiority, as it respects 

 milk, is of little importance to 

 the Galloway farmer, his chief 

 pursuit being the rearing of graz- 

 ing stock ; consequently, as a 

 rule, he never kills his calves, 

 but looks to profit from them at a 

 future day. Tiiese are generally 

 dropped at the latter part of win- 

 ter, or very early in spring, and 

 are permitted access to the mother 

 at certain times daily, as long as 

 she continues in milk. For the 

 first five months the dairy-maid 

 and the calf, morning and eve- 

 ning, divide the contents of the 

 udder pretty equally between 

 them ; after this period, when the calf begins to 

 graze, its allowance is diminished, till, the cow dry- 

 ing, this supply is of course stopped altogether. 

 During the winter the young animal is housed at 

 night, and fed upon hay, turnips, and potatoes, with 

 a liberal hand. 



" Of the calves bred, a few of the moot promising 

 females only are reserved aa breeders, — the other fe- 

 males are rendered sterile. Heifers in this condition 

 fatten with great rapidity, arrive very early at matu- 

 rity, and their meat is deemed peculiarly delicate." 



I- I 



GALLOWAY COW. 



