FATTENING. 463 



ftnd bold ; the horns slender, whitish, and rather transparent. The 

 animal must have been cut while he was still at the teat. 



The celebrated English breeder, Eobert Bakewell, succeeded, 

 after a long and troublesome course of experiments, in creating a 

 race of neat-cattle and of sheep which show themselves particularly 

 disposed to take on fat. The fundamental principles established by 

 Bakewell, after all his experience, are these : that smailness of 

 bone, fineness of skin, and cylindrical shape of body, are the surest 

 indications in cattle of the disposition to lay on fat readily, and 

 upon the smallest quantity of provender. The most striking features 

 in the breed obtained by Bakewell, commonly known as the Dishley 

 breed, may be summed up in the following terms : 



1st. The animal low on his legs. 



2d. The back-bone straight. 



3d. The carcass rounded and almost cylindrical. 



4th. The chest deep and large. 



An ox is held to have grown rapidly and well, when at the age of 

 three years he weighs from 1016 to 1051 lbs. avoirdupois, from 72 

 to 75 stone. The disposition to fatten young is also a precious 

 quality in the beast which it is intended to bring for the butcher ; 

 the feeder comes the sooner at his return. Sinclair thinks, that in- 

 dependently of good constitution, which is indispensable, this quality 

 is derived especially from meekness of disposition, from good tem- 

 per ; and as docility is generally the result of good treatment in 

 early life, young animals ought always to be treated with great 

 gentleness and made perfectly familiar. 



The different races do not all yield meat of the same quality, and 

 this quite independently of age. The best meat has a very decided 

 and characteristic flavor after it is dressed, which indiffeient meat 

 wants, or which is replaced by a savor that is disgusting rather 

 than agreeable. The fat in the best meat, as well as being laid on 

 superficially, is distributed through the substance of the muscles, so 

 as to give the flesh a marbled appearance. 



In fattening cattle it is perhaps of more importance than in gene 

 ral feeding, that the provender should be distributed regularly ; 

 plenty of soft litter, and the greatest attention to cleanliness, aid 

 materially in fattening. The cow-house ought to be dark and quiet ; 

 in a word, all the conditions ought to be combined which conduce 

 to sleep, and secure freedom from disturbance of every description. 



The age at which cattle fatten most readily is that from 7 to 8 

 years.* Animals under this age, which have not yet come to their 

 full growth, will nevertheless get into excellent condition ; but they 

 require both longer time and more food, for the reason, apparently, 

 that they are still forming both flesh and fat. 



In fattening during winter, which is done almost exclusively with 

 hay in some countries, an ox weighing 748 lbs., upon 40 lbs. of hay 

 per diem, will increase by about 2 lbs. daily. According to Mr. 



• This is as in tlie original, and may be true, but in England and Scotland we hay* 

 •eldom an opportunity of proving it so. — ^Eng. Ed, 



