CHARACTERISTICS. WORKING CATTLE. 45 



The North Devons are remarkable for hardihood, sym- 

 metry, and beauty, and are generally bred for work and for 

 beef rather than for the dairy. The head is fine and well 

 set on; the horns of medium length, generally curved; 

 color usually bright blood-red, but sometimes inclining 

 to yellow ; skin thin and orange-yellow ; hair of medium 

 length, soft and silky, making the animals remarkable as 

 handlers ; muzzle of the nose white ; eyes full and mild ; 

 ears yellowish, or orange-color inside, of moderate size ; 

 neck rather long, with little dewlap ; shoulders oblique ; 

 legs small and straight, and feet in proportion ; chest of 

 good width ; ribs round and expanded ; loins of first-rate 

 quality, long, wide, and fleshy ; hips round, of medium 

 width ; rump level ; tail full near the setting on, taper- 

 ing to the tip ; thighs of the bull and ox muscular and 

 full, and high in the flank, though in the cow sometimes 

 thought to be too light ; the size medium, generally 

 called small. The proportion of meat on the valuable 

 parts is greater, and the offal less, than on most other 

 breeds, while it is well settled that they consume less 

 food in its production. The Devons are popular with 

 the Srnithfield butchers, and their beef is well marbled 

 or grained. 



As working oxen, the Devons perhaps excel all other 

 races in quickness, docility, and beauty, and the ease 

 with which they are matched. With a reasonable load, 

 they are said to be equal to horses as walkers on the 

 road, and when they are no longer wanted for work 

 they fatten easily and turn well. 



As milkers, they do not excel, perhaps they may be 

 said not to equal, the other breeds, and they have a 

 reputation of being decidedly below the average. In 

 their native country the general average of a dairy is 

 one pound of butter per day during the summer. 



They are bred for beef and for work, and not for the 



