MORE CYLINDRICAL THAN SHORTHORNS. 79 



as well as more richly fleshed, finer in the bone, of superior 

 quality, and sweeter and more gay, especially about the 

 head. Their general fattening-properties too, notably in 

 regard to early maturity, have been very greatly improved. 

 Some admirers of the breed, who have a distinct recollec- 

 tion of the animals that gained fame in show-yards twenty- 

 five or thirty years ago, maintain that, in comparison with 

 these, the show-yard animals of to-day exhibit little or no 

 improvement. They admit that there has been great 

 improvement in the "rank and file" of the breed, and 

 that a much greater number of good specimens are seen 

 in the show-yards now than formerly ; but some of those 

 celebrated animals that a quarter of a century ago en- 

 listed their warm admiration, have never in their eyes 

 been excelled. The same statements have been heard in 

 regard to almost every breed of live stock in the country ; 

 but while in some instances they may be perfectly accurate, 

 we believe that as a rule they are not so. We judge 

 all things by comparison; and we believe that as we 

 watch the progress of a breed that is being constantly 

 improved, our standard of comparison becomes higher 

 unconsciously. We cannot help believing, especially if 

 full value were given to character or appearance of 

 " breeding," that better animals of the polled Aberdeen or 

 Angus breed have been shown within recent years than 

 were to be seen a quarter of a century ago ; and we are 

 probably not far wrong in attributing the contrary impres- 

 sion, which has been mentioned, to the fact that those who 

 hold that impression have not made full allowance for the 

 higher standard of comparison which their long experience 

 must almost of necessity have brought them to apply. 



In general form a model polled animal differs consider- 

 ably from a model Shorthorn. Both should be lengthy, 

 deep, wide, even, proportionate, and cylindrical. The 

 polled animal, however, should be more truly cylindrical 

 in the body than the Shorthorn. Its points should be 



