364 CATTLE-BREEDING. 



and without delay ; that, in short, is active, wide 

 awake, and in high health. 



In speaking of over-feeding the question of 

 feeding for the show-ring naturally suggests 

 itself. Can a bull be fed, trained and exhibited 

 without impairing his procreative powers? In 

 general it may be safely said that there is great 

 danger in so doing. While a risk is always 

 involved, there is no certainty of doing injury, 

 and to many the object in view will justify the 

 risk. A bull calf, even a yearling bull, may be 

 put in show-yard condition without any serious 

 risk under ordinary circumstances. They will 

 stand a high state of flesh, especially if not cut 

 off from their regular exercise, which would in- 

 jure maturer animals. On the other hand, few 

 bulls can stand five years of systematic training 

 for the show-ring without loss of vigor. It is a 

 highly unnatural life. The whole fabric of the 

 body is surcharged with an undue amount of 

 fatty matter; the blood is made hot and fever- 

 ish; the frame soft and lacking in muscle; the in- 

 ternal organs clogged with outside fat; and the 

 whole animal smothered, as it were; every or- 

 gan impeded in its action by the animars own 

 flesh. If the animal by nature has a tendency 

 to fat this will be abnormally developed and 

 fatty degeneration of one organ or another will 

 follow. In the bull, as in the cow, the organs 

 of procreation seem to suffer first. Some ani- 



