224 



PI I S T E Y OF HEREFORD CATTLE 



another, renders the animal valuable, it is the 

 chest. There must be room enough for the 

 heart to beat and the lungs to play, or suffi- 

 cient blood for the purposes of nutriment and 

 of strength will not be circulated — nor will it 

 thoroughly undergo that vital change which is 

 essential to the proper discharge of every func- 

 tion. Look, therefore, first of all, to the wide 

 and deep girth around the heart and lungs — we 

 must have both. The proportion in which the 

 one or the other is preponderate may depend 

 on the service we require from the animal ; we 

 can excuse a slight degree of flatness of the 



THE FOUNDATION OF AN OHIO HERD. 



sides, for he will be lighter in the forehand 

 and more active, but the grazier must have 

 breadth as well as depth. And not only about 

 the heart and lungs, but over the whole of the 

 ribs must we have both length and roundness 

 — the hooped as well as the deep barrel is essen- 

 tial. There must be room for the capacious 

 paunch, room for the materials from which the 

 blood is to be provided. The beast should also 

 be ribbed home. There should be little space 

 between the ribs and the hips. This seems to 

 be indispensable in the ox, as it regards a good, 

 healthy constitution and a propensity to fat- 

 ten ; but a largeness and drooping of the belly 

 is excusable in a cow, or, rather, notwithstand- 

 ing it diminishes the beauty of the animal, it 

 leaves room for the udder, and if it is also ac- 

 companied by swelling milk veins it generally 

 indicates her value in the dairy. 



The introduction of the Fatten stock into 

 Kentucky effected as much benefit to us in the 

 improvement of our cattle in a little more than 

 twenty years as was effected in England in more 

 than sixty years. 



A printed report of a select committee of the 

 House of Commons, in 1795, stated that cattle 



and sheep had increased on an average, in size 

 and weight, about a fourth since 1732. 



The average weight of cattle slaughtered for 

 the London market in 1830 was 656 pounds. 

 (McCullough's Dictionary of Com.) [Un- 

 doubtedly dressed weight of 82 stone, which 

 would be equivalent to 1,148 pounds live weight. 

 T. L. M.] 



At Liverpool, about the same period, 600 

 Irish beasts averaged 720 pounds; 140 English 

 beasts averaged 730 pounds; 60 Scotch beasts 

 averaged 810 pounds. [These being dressed 

 weights would make the live weights 1,148 

 pounds, 1,277 pounds and 1,417 pounds respec- 

 tively. T. L. M.] 



It would seem that our improved breeds ex- 

 ceed these weights. Twenty fat cows were sold 

 in the early part of this month by one drover 

 at Cincinnati, the average weight of which was 

 over 1,000 pounds the four quarters [or by the 

 English system of calculation 1,750 pounds 

 live weight. T. L. M.] These cows were Ken- 

 tucky bred. All but three had produced calves. 



I expected to receive authentic data to state 

 the average age and weight of the four quarters 

 of cattle slaughtered at Louisville and Cincin- 

 nati, for three periods. Though promised, the 

 paper has not yet come to hand. 



In 1833 I took to Kew Orleans three bullocks, 

 produced by a cross of the cows of the Patton 

 find Miller stock by bulls of the importation of 

 1817. 



Xo. 1, red, six years old, live weight, 3,448 

 pounds ; No. 2, red, six years old, live weight, 

 3,274 pounds ; No. 3, brindle, four years old, 

 live weight, 2,868 pounds. 



I sold these three animals together at auction 

 for the sum of $925. I was at the New York 

 State Agricultural Exhibiton at Saratoga in 

 September, 1847. i very attentively examined 

 the cattle stock there shown. 



The oxen were better than are generallv to be 

 met with in Kentucky, all others not so good. 



The Ayrshire cattle may be classed with our 

 half-blood Durhams, from common cows. We 

 can derive no benefit from a cross of Devon 

 blood. The diminutive size and ill forms of 

 the Aklerneys would exclude them from our 

 pastures. Our climate is favorable for breed- 

 ing and rearing cattle. They are free from any 

 marked disease. I have never known an epi- 

 demic among them. 



It is the custom with some farmers as soon 

 as the corn is in the roasting ear to cut it up, 

 giving stalk and all to the^hogs. The hogs 

 masticate the stalk — suck and swallow all the 

 juice, throwing out the remaining fibrous mat- 

 ter, which soon becomes dry. Cattle are verv 



