No. 149.] 467 



1st weight. Gained. Consumed— —— — v 



Oil cake. Turneps. Hay. 

 owt. qrs. ibs. lbs. lbs. 0)9. 



1. Hereford, 17 1 24 3 2700 487 



2. do 18 1 41 5 423 2712 432 



3. Devon, 14 1 7 45 4 438 2668 295 



4. do 14 2 4 64 6 442 2056 442 



5. Sussex, 16 2 45 4 432 2655 392 



6. Leicester, 15 2 14 40 2 434 2652 400 



The color of true Devon cattle must be a bright red ; any de- 

 parture, as the slightest intermixture of white, even a star in the 

 forehead, is considered at least an indication of mixture of blood 

 with some other variety. I would not advise my agricultural 

 friends to run upon this breed of animals, except for beef and 

 working cattle ; in these two respects I consider them superior 

 to any breed known; but for milking qualifications they are 

 certainly inferior to other breeds. The Devon cow is small, 

 comparatively speaking; she has a cheerful countenance, thin 

 jaws, clear, full eye, yellow muzzle, and no dewlap ; she is good 

 tempered and docile ; but her milk is deficient in quantity, 

 though it is very rich ; and on account of this latter quality, 

 some good judges have given them the preference for the dairy, 

 taking, I imagine, into consideration their facility of fattening 

 and acquiring flesh ; compensating in a great degree for deficiency 

 in quantity. The quality of yielding large quantities of rich 

 milk, and fattening easily, is a combination rarely found in any 

 breed of animals. Proper and judicious feeding is indispensably 

 necessary, not only with respect to the Devon but all other 

 breeds. Our farmers generally speaking, cannot be accused of 

 erring as far as overfeeding is concerned. It must be a self-evi- 

 dent proposition, that a disposition to become fat, cannot possibly 

 develope itself until the animal is fed more food than is abso- 

 lutely necessary to support life. Young cattle are almost always 

 restricted to just sufficient nourishment to support nature, and 

 keep up their growing constitution. This management comes 

 from an erroneous conviction acquired by farmers, that mature 

 aged cattle only can be fattened. I have seen two and a half 

 year old steers sold for one hundred and forty dollars each ; this 

 can only be accomplished by proper management from the birth 

 of the animal until that age. Young cattle that have been stinted 



