20 CATTLE. 



tail. If tliere is any seeming fault in the beast, it is that the sides 

 are a little too flat. It will appear, however, that this does not in- 

 terfere with feeding, w^hile a deep, although somewhat flat chest ia 

 best adapted for speed. 



The two last ribs are particularly bold and prominent, leaving 

 room for the stomachs and other parts concerned in digestion to be 

 fully developed. The hips, or buckles, are high up, and on a level 

 with the back, whether the beast is fat or lean. The hind quarters, 

 or the space from the hip to the point of the rump, are particularly 

 long, and well filled up — a point of importance both for grazing and 

 working. It leaves room for flesh in the most valuable part, and in- 

 dicates much })0wer behind, equally connected with strength and 

 speed. This is an improvement quite of modern date. The fullness 

 here, and the siveUing out of the thigh below, are of much more consequence 

 than the jyrominence of fat which is so much admired on the rump of 

 many prize cattle. 



The setting on of the tail is high ; on a level with the back ; rarely 

 much elevated or depressed. This is another great point, as con- 

 nected with the perfection of the hind quarters. The tail itself is 

 long and small, and taper, with a round bunch of hair at the bottom. 



The skin of the Devon, with his curly hair, is exceedingly mellow 

 and elastic. Graziers know that there is not a more important point 

 than this. When the skin can he easily raised from the hips, it shows 

 that there is room to set on fat below. 



The skin is thin rather than thick. Its appearance of thickness 

 irises from the curl}^ hair with which it is covered, and curl}^ in pro- 

 portion'to the condition and health of the animal. 'iliese curls run 

 like little ripples on water. Some of these cattle have the hair 

 smooth, but then it should be fine and soft. Tliose with curled 

 hair are more hardy, and fatten more kindly. The favorite color is 

 a blood red. This is supposed to indicate purity of breed ; but there 

 are many good cattle approaching almost to a dark bay. If the 

 eye is clear and good, and the skin mellow, the paler colors wnll bear 

 hard work, and fatten as well as others ; but a beast with pale hair, 

 and hard under the hand, and the eye dark and dead, will be a slug- 

 gish worker, and an uprofitable feeder. Those of a yellow color are 

 said to be subject to diarrhoea, or scouring. 



These are the principal points of a good Devon ox ; but he used 

 10 be, perhaps is yet, a little too flat-sided, and the rump narrowed 

 too rapidly behind the hip bones ; there was too much space between 

 the hip bones and the last rib ; and he was too light for tenacious 

 and strong soils. 



A selection from the most perfect animals of the true breed — the 

 bone still small and the neck fine, but the brisket deep and wide, and 

 down to the knees, and not an atom of flatness all over the side — 

 these have improved the strength and bulk of the Devon ox, without 



