THE OX AND THE DAIRY 135 



" Turnills," from the name of its founder, Captain Turnill, 

 of Reesby-on-the-Wold. Whether he effected his object by 

 crossing with some other breed, or simply by a judicious 

 selection of the native stock, is not well known ; but, cer- 

 tainly, he was very successful, and produced an animal 

 lighter in the head, finer in the form, far less bony, less high 

 on the limbs, fuller in the breast, and round in the barrel 

 Their general contour is good, and they evince a propensity 

 to fatten rapidly. Some of the Lincolnshire farmers still 

 prize and cultivate this breed, which has excellent grazing 

 qualities, the oxen soon becoming ripe for the market, espe 

 cially when put up for stall-feeding, a plan which seems to 

 suit them admirably. They are generally bought at the age 

 of three years, in a lean state, by the jobbers or the graziers, 

 and are ready for the butcher in the course of the ensuing 

 summer or autumn. 



Lincolnshire, besides its own breed, presents us with 

 various others : many Irish cattle are fed there, as well as 

 cattle from the north, and also from Yorkshire and Durham ; 

 destined mostly for London. The farmers, who look to dairy 

 qualities, have mixed breeds of almost every description ; 

 which answer their purpose very well, being, in general, 

 good milkers. 



Under the head of short-horns, will range the Normandy, 

 Guernsey, or Alderney cattle, which, though originally from 

 the French continent, are now naturalized in our island. 

 These cattle prevail in Hampshire, especially near the coast ; 

 but, inland, are crossed with other breeds, and, perhaps, most 

 successfully with the Devons, both as respects milking and 

 feeding qualities. 



The Alderney cattle are angular, and awkwardly shaped, 

 of small size, thin-necked, small boned, with high shoulders, 

 hollow behind, short in the rump, with pendent bellies, and 

 a voracious appetite. The cows yield only a small portion of 

 milk, but it is of the most extraordinary richness ; and, on 

 this account, they are often kept in the parks and pleasure- 

 grounds of the opulent, where, we must confess, they are 

 both useful and even ornamental. Their gentleness, their 

 diminutive size, and even their singular contour, together 

 with the excellence of their milk, render them favourites, 

 where no remunerating return for their keep is expected or 

 desired. We own that we admire them ; but, perhaps, some 

 old associations influence our feelings. In proportion to the 



