144 Cattle Problems. 



that is not expected. But the loose structure and imma- 

 ture quality of veal serve for contrast with the quality of 

 mature, fine-grained, juicy beef. 



Two-year-old beef is about midway in quality between 

 insipid veal and fully matured beef. There is not time 

 for large or full muscles, or perfect structure, to develop, 

 while inactivity under confinement retards the rate of cell 

 changes, preventing the growth of muscle. So two-year- 

 old beef is too beefy to be classed as veal, while too vealy 

 to be classed as mature beef; fattening at this early age 

 producing an inferior bulk rather than a prime quality of 

 beef-food. 



It is a misnomer to call two-year-old steers or heifers 

 mature, merely because they are large in size ; over-rapid 

 growth in vegetable or animal fabrics being inferior in 

 quality ; for there is not time for the necessary extent of 

 cell changes, that produce superior quality, to take place. 

 Hence fattening and breeding at two years old prevents 

 a large development of muscle and its food value in steers, 

 and growth in heifers, by arresting the maturing process, 

 when the muscular parts — that contain the food-value — are 

 comparatively soft and tender; the result being "big 

 veal "* instead of mature beef. 



Too early breeding, at under two years by heifers, tends 

 to dwarf their size, to impair their constitutional vigor, 

 and to reduce the size of their calves, which are, or should 

 be, the basement-story of full-sized cows. Thus, while 

 there is emulation almost amounting to extravagance, in 

 striving for large yields of milk, there seems to be un- 

 thinking emulation in reducing the size, and digestive 

 power, which is the basis of large yield, while size and 

 digestive power are necessary to good breeding capacity; 

 and early breeding undoubtedly tends to early decay. 



The time for mature quality is at mature age ; the ex- 



* See Country Gentleman, p. 128, Feb. 19, 1880. 



