

THE SUSSEX BREED. 353 



accordingly, it is found that the same race of cattle which 

 exists in the mountains of North Devon, yet survives in the 

 Wealden, 



The breed of the Wealden is usually termed the Sussex 

 Breed, from its being chiefly reared in that county. It pos- 

 sesses all the essential characters of the Devon Breed, but 

 more resembles the variety of South than of North Devon, 

 being reared in a country which affords larger supplies of 

 artificial food. It is accordingly of larger size than the 

 North Devon Breed, and of coarser form. It has not, per- 

 haps, been preserved in the same degree from foreign inter- 

 mixture ; yet it is a very pure breed, and exhibits as great 

 a uniformity of characters as almost any other in the Island. 



The Sussex is to be ranked amongst the larger breeds of 

 the country. The skins of the individuals are covered with 

 short hair, but have not usually the same unctuous feel 

 which so eminently characterizes that of the true North 

 Devons. Their horns are longer, approaching in this respect 

 to the character of the Long-horned varieties of the central 

 counties. Their shoulders are thick ; and their legs, though 

 moderately short, have not the fineness of bone which is dis- 

 tinctive of the North Devons ; nor have they the same length 

 of body and elegance of general form. The distinctive colour 

 is red, but of a less florid shade than in the North Devons ; 

 and often it is mixed with white on the face and body. The 

 cows are restless, eminently deficient in the faculty of yield* 

 ing milk, and little used accordingly for the regular dairy. 

 They are likewise small as compared with the males, a 

 character which seems to be common to all the members 

 of the group with which they are associated, and which al- 

 ways indicates a deficiency in the milching properties of the 

 females of a race of cattle. 



The practice of employing oxen in the labour of the farm 

 is universal in the county of Sussex ; and the native breed is 

 eminently suited to this purpose, combining weight of body 

 with a sufficient degree of muscular activity. For the pur- 



z 



