30 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan. 



erallj extending back on the neck, and sometimes, though 

 rarely, still farther along on the back. The color of the rest of 

 the body is red, generally dark, but sometimes light. Eighty 

 years ago the best Hereford cattle were mottled or roan all 

 over ; and some of the best herds, down to a comparatively 

 recent period, were either all mottled, or had the mottled or 

 speckled face. The expression of the face is mild and lively, 

 the forehead large, the eyes bright and full of vivacity, the 

 horns glossy, slender and spreading ; the head small, though 

 larger and not quite so clean as the Devons ; the lower jaw fine, 

 neck long and slender, chest deep ; breast bone large, promi- 

 nent and very muscular ; the shoulder blade light, shoulder 

 full and soft, brisket and loins large ; hips well developed, 

 and on a level with the chine ; hind quarters long and well 

 filled in ; buttocks on a level with the back, neither falling off 

 nor raised above the hind quarters ; tail slender, well set on ; 

 hair fine and soft ; body round and full ; carcase deep and well 

 formed, or cylindrical ; bone small, thigh short and well made ; 

 legs short and straight, and slender below the knee ; as handlers 

 very excellent, especially mellow to the touch on the back, the 

 shoulder and along the sides, the skin being soft, flexible, of 

 medium thickness, rolling on the neck and the hips ; hair bright, 

 face almost bare, which is characteristic of pure bred Herefords. 



Hereford oxen are excellent animals, less active but stronger 

 than the Devons, and very free and docile. The demand for 

 Herefords for beef prevents their being used for work in their 

 native county, and the farmers there generally use horses instead 

 of oxen. 



In point of symmetry and beauty of form, the well-bred Here- 

 fords may be classed with the improved short-horns, though they 

 arrive somewhat slower at maturity and never attain such 

 weight. The remark is sometimes made by good judges of 

 stock, that those who desire very much the general qualities of 

 the Devons, and yet want larger size, will find them combined 

 in the Herefords. 



The Herefords are far less generally spread over England than 

 the improved short-horns. They have never been bred for milk 

 as many families of the short-horns have, and it is not very unusual 

 to find pure bred cows incapable of supplying milk sufficient to 

 nourish their calves. This system was pursued especially by 



