THE GENESEE FAEMEE. 



and somewhat long. The chest should be deep, wide, and circular ; the ribs forming a circular 

 cone. The brisket should descend towards the knees, and protuberate before the forelegs. 

 The skin of the brisket loose and flexible. The forelegs should be broad and muscular above 

 the knee, line h. Before the point of the shoulder, gr, there should be a deposit of fat palpable 

 to the feel. The shoulder blades should feel to the touch as if covered with soft cellular 

 muscles. Over the ribs the same soft elastic touch should be felt. One of the chief points of 

 excellence in the male is, that there should be nowhere any patches of flesh or fat, but that 

 the whole frame should be evenly clothed with flesh, presenting to the touch a soft oily feel 

 beneath the skin. The skin should be elastic, soft, pliable, and velvety to the touch, not too 

 thin. When touched the resistance should be so delicate as to give pleasure to a sensitive 

 hand, yielding to tlie fingers. It should feel loose along the ribs, and particularly on the 

 neck, shoulder-blades, &c. The hair is also of the greatest importance — it should be close, 

 mossy, and furry. Single hairs should present to the eye not the ordinary straight line of 

 hairs, but something of the curl of long wool, without being absolutely curled. The waving 

 of the coat should also be delicately marked. The length of hair is dependent upon the sea- 

 son, condition, and the manner in which the animal ha.s been housed. 



Color we do not deem of great importance, provided it is not black, or has not a black or 

 blue tinge. Some object to those colored red and white, when the patches of red or white 

 are large. A still better grounded objection is to those having small indistinct spots of mixed 

 hair about the size of a shilling to half-a-crown, along both sides of the sp^e. These are 

 generally understood not to be kindly feeders. But colors of deep red, dark roan, or delicate 

 roan, strawberry-spotted, cream color, or white, are all good. White is regarded by many, 

 as an indication of delicacy of constitution ; the very opposite we believe to be the fact. If 

 a white color is an index of delicacy of constitution, how is it to be explained that animals 

 'exposed to cold, such as in the arctic regions, are generally white; and what is equally 

 remarkable, that in the interior of Africa the domesticated ox is generally white, while the 

 sheep are almost always spotted with brown or black spots ? 



Viewed in front, the animal should present the same level appearance, with brisket deep 

 and well forward. The point behind the shoulder can be here well observed, and there 

 should be little or no falling oft' on this point. The feet should be circular, with the hoof 

 strong and upright. Good hoofs are of great importance for cattle travelling. The animal, 

 when walking, should have a somewhat gay, elastic step. 



Before determining which is the best animal, both sides should be examined, as it is not 

 uncommon, in some breeds, particularly the highly pampered Short-horn, to find one side 

 more delicate to the touch and better clothed with fat than the other side. We have heard 

 various reasons assigned for this somewhat strange anomaly. The most common is, that if 

 the animal gets the habit of lying always on one side, that side will be more clothed with fat. 

 We believe, however, that it is chiefly owing to a defect in the structural formation, possibly 

 in the nervous system. But whatever is the cause, we look upon it as a very serious objec- 

 tion in all animals for breeding. 



The following is a scale of points in the bull : — 



1. Pedigree on the female side. 



2. Pedigree on the male side. 



3. Eye large, clear, and prominent. 



4. Muscles of the neck full arched, but without being coarse or heavy. 



5. Chest deep and circular. 



6. Barrel well arched from the point of the short ribs ; circular, and rather light at the flank. 



7. Touch — skin soft, velvety, and moderately thin, yielding to the touch. 



8. Hair thick, soft, silky to the touch, and twisted. 



9. Back straight from point of the shoulders to the setting on of the taU. 



10. Point behind the shoulder, gr, fuU and level with the shoulder. 



1 1 . The whole surface of the bony structure of the body evenly clothed with cellular mus- 

 cle and fat. 



12. Hooks broad, level, and well clothed with muscles and fat. 



13. Head fine and tapering ; cheek moderately clothed with flesh. 



14. Forehead broad and concave. 



15. Muzzle fine ; color, orange tint. 



16. Throat clean, with the skin loose down towards the brisket. 



17. Brisket full, weU forward, and deep. 



18. The shoulders nof coarse, but clothed with soft cellular flesh. 



19. Hocks large and clean, with flesh descending down near to the joint — legs below the 

 hock, clean and delicately formed. 



1 h 20. Well-ribbed home. j r 



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