THE GENESEE FARMER. 



45 



deceive the butcher, while loose fatteiiings never kill 

 well. 



" A judge looks at the fattened animnl in the full 

 broadside, in front, and from beliind. If the exami- 

 nation is commenced in the middle of the body, the 

 points of the tingei-s touch the whole side of the ril)s 

 from the shoulder to the hook-bone in various places, 

 and satisfies the inquiry if the flesh be delicate and 

 firm, and imposed in a regular manner. I'he right 

 hand can be stretched to the hook-lmne, examine the 

 short-ribs, and if the bone of junction be covered 

 with flesh, to show the fitting roundness of the for- 

 mation, and if the vacancy between it and the short- 

 ribs is well arched over with firm flesh. The flank is 

 at the same time examined by being grasped in the 

 hand, and felt to be bulky and firm with flesh, and at 

 the same time mellow and pliant. A good flank 

 should be protuberant rather than depending, in order 

 to contribute to the cylindrical shape of the carcass 

 by fining up the hollow that happens at the junction 

 of the body with the thigh. A step of the body of 

 the judge backward will enable the hand to reach the 

 rump, or root of the tail, which is the extreme part 

 of the body, and the first to show the condition of 

 fat That part must be well examined, both by touch 

 of the fingers and grasp of the hand, and the flesh 

 must feel delicate and soft, firm and compact. The 

 quantity must be moderate, and not form bunches and 

 protuberances. The same hand touches the Ahigh in 

 several places down to the hock-bone, and settles the 

 quality of the flesh of each part; the length of the 

 *ump from the hock-bone to the extremity below the 

 :ail is much attended to, and also the depth of the 

 ;high to the point of contraction. The posterior 

 ividth of the animal over the thighs is minutely ob- 

 lerved, and the interior ■nidth, or ' twist,' and also 

 he lining of it with fat; and if the purse be large, 

 oUd, and well furnished with a fatty secretion. A 

 )erpendicular thigh will be exj^ected which will plumb 

 I line; a protul^erant thigh is a great deformity. 



" The left hand of the judge resumes the examina- 

 ion on the middle-ribs, and moves forward, touching 

 he fore-ribs in several places, and not omitting the 

 loint and top of the shoulder, and ending with the 

 eck vein. The right hand follows behind, repeats 

 he touches, and verifies or contradicts the conclusions 

 f the left, and may discover places to be touched 

 hat the left had passed over. The girth is to be 

 arefully examined, if the joining of the ribs with the 

 houlder be not widely discernable, or filled up beyond 

 iscovery, as it should be. The depth is to be marked, 

 hat it descend to the level of the lower part of the 

 ■elly, and measure in a straight line from the fore to 

 tie hind legs. For this purpose, the flank of the fore 

 irth must fill the cavities of junction of the body 

 ath the fore and hind quarters. The neck and bris- 

 et are examined, and must be full and fleshy, and 

 ttach the shoulder backward in a swelling junction, 

 nd slope to the head in a gentle and very graduated 

 iper. 

 " If the judge approaches the animal on the pos- 

 mor parts, the rump is first touched and grasped by 

 ae right hand, and the flank by the left. The right 

 and is then removed to the hook-bone and short- 

 bg, while the left hand grasps the middle-ribs, and 

 regresses to the fore blade, the right following along 



the back of the animal till it meets the left on the 

 top of the shoulder. 



" In passing round the head, the neck and brisket 

 are examined, the width of the latter being carefully 

 remarked, and the former seen to be full and fleshy. 

 The other side of the beast is examined by the touch 

 of the hands, and the termination is made at the 

 twist and purse, where the inspection began on the 

 left side. 



" The cylindrical body of an ox should approach 

 the form of a square as near as possible, and the origi- 

 nal structure is the chief conducement to this purpose 

 being effected; and the full fattening fills up the cavi- 

 ties that may be impossible to prevent. The back is 

 perfectly straight from the top of the shoulder, or 

 root of the horns, to the rump or set-on of the tail, 

 whence a line hangs plumb to the under part of the 

 thigh, and squaring the buttock. From this point a 

 line is straight to the lower shoulder along the flank, 

 the end of the ribs, and the fore girth, requiring a 

 protuberant flank, an arched swelling of the ribs and 

 a fullness of fore girth, and a flattened shoulder, 

 without an outward extension or irregular projection 

 of the bones. 



" A straight line levels the belly from the center 

 of the fore legs to the position of the purse in the 

 middle twist of the hams. The upper and lower 

 straightness of the square are not very difficultly at- 

 tained ; the side-lines are the great objection, and con 

 stitute the chief deficiency of the animal frame. Not 

 one breed of cattle that is yet seen in Britain possesses 

 all the necessary qualities. A single property is 

 marred by one or more deficiency, and very often a 

 number of the latter combine to overthrow an indi- 

 \idual pre-eminence. The Short-horn breed immea- 

 surably excels all others in the ample development 

 of the hind quarter. The length of the rump, width 

 and depth of the thigh, are unequalled; and every 

 part is excellent from the extreme posterior to the 

 middle-ribs. From this point forward the same ex- 

 cellence does not prevail; the fore girth is often de- 

 ficient, the shoulder is projecting sideways and the 

 top often bare of flesh; the neck is thick and shaggy, 

 with loose leather, and the whole fore-quarter of the 

 animal exhibits a heavy coarseness in bones and skin 

 which the breed may have inherited from the female 

 progenitor in the Galloway cow. The very best 

 breeders have not been able to banish this property 

 from their herds. The width of the hind quarter very 

 well extends the line of straightness along the side 

 of the carcass; the flank is not deficient, and the cur- 

 vature of the ribs is convenient; the quantity of offal 

 makes no outward mtrusion, but the fore girth often 

 shows a cavity; the shoulder projects too far, destroys 

 the longitudinal squareness, and approaches the form 

 of a trapezium. In the fore quarters, both the 

 Hereford and Devon breeds excel the Short-horns: 

 the fore girth is more full, and the shoulder more flat, 

 sloping very beautifully both to the ribs and neck, 

 and is consequently better covered with flesh on every 

 part, the very late parts included, and on the fore 

 point and extreme top. But then all animals of 

 these breeds lose the width behmd the hook-bones, 

 and slope to the posterior buttock^ narrowing the 

 twist and lessening the quantity of the most vuluabh 

 part of the carcass. The superiority ©f the Short 



