154 THE FARM. 



if any other two defects are so hard to breed out as these. A drooping ruinp 

 or low carriage forward may be brought up in one or two crosses, so th.i. 

 with after care they may not reappear; but the defects in the chest pointed 

 out above depend upon deticieut vital organs within. The re-organization 

 and enlargement of the heart, lungs, stomach, and hver require many dis- 

 creet crosses to accomplish. Passing from the chest backwards, we would 

 call attention to the importance of the short ribs being long, and standing 

 out horizontally from the spine, forming a level plane forward of the hips. 

 This broad, level loin generally keeps company with a round, deep chest and 

 is a point of excellence that should always be sought. The hind quarter 

 that holds its width well back, carries a large amount of meat not repre- 

 sented in the quarter that narrows in rapidly from the hip back. A perfect 

 symmetrically-organized frame, with the fleshy part so well distributed and 

 packed as to make it difticult to tell where one portion of the carcass ceases 

 and the next begins This is the goal to be aimed at. The third and last 

 subject, " quality," we will treat very briefly. No intelligent breeder while 

 striving to increase the depth and breadth cf the carcass, loses sight of the 

 equally important point, the texture of those parts of the animal that are to 

 be consumed as hiiman food. This idea of texture is never lost sight of by 

 -the fruit grower, and the excellencies which fix the value of the apple, viz., 

 fair size, smooth surface, and tender, juicy meat, are the three things upon 

 which we base our estimate of a Shorthorn. Now, the common notion is 

 that all animals that handle mellow have high flavored, tender flesh. This 

 is an erroneous idea, proved every day upon the butcher's block. We couple 

 two animals together, expecting to secure well-fattened, ready feeders in the 

 progeny they will generally transmit it. But if both the parents have dark, 

 unsavory flesh, they and all their get, and all the progeny after for all time, 

 will have the same, unless modified and impi-oved by new crosses having 

 light-colored, savory flesh. 



Selecting Breeding i.Vales.— The first object which any breeder of cat- 

 tle or sheep must keep in view is that his stock must be healthy. In the selec- 

 tion of a male animal, therefore, the first things to be considered are the in- 

 dications by which it may be possible to form a judgment as to his constitu- 

 tion. There can be no doubt that this is one of the important points of form 

 or shape to which it is material for a breeder to look into in the selection of 

 either a bull or ram. It is not enough to observe that they have wide breasts 

 or bosoms, but the width which is noticed in looking at them from the front, 

 should be continued along the brisket, which should show great fullness in 

 the part under the elbows; it is also important that they should be thiclj 

 through the region of the heart. 



Another point to bo carefully considered is the muscular system. Great 

 muscular power is not only indicative of a good constitution and good health, 

 but it has a merit in itself. Large muscles are the usual accompaniment of 

 strength of constitution, and it also shows that when ready for the shambles 

 there will be a good proportionate mixture of muscle and fat in the meat. In 

 both bi;lls and rams a thick neck is proof of large muscles, and there can 

 hardly be a greater fault in either animal than to have this wanting. Other 

 indications of nniscle will be more difficult to observe in sheep than in cattle. 

 In a good bull there should bo a full muscle on each side of the backbone, 

 just behind the top of the shoulder blades. Ho should also have the mus- 

 cles at the outsid* of the thigh full and extending nearly to the hough. A 

 bull having these indications will seldom be found deficient in muscle. 



