188 Oattle Problems. 



tending to a reduction of muscle and vigor,* while their 

 reduced food-value and vigor can possibly be augmented 

 by gradually increased exercise, when not too far reduced. 

 Of course there is most need and margin for improve- 

 ment in slender-muscled animals of any sort. Illusive im- 

 provements in certain Short-horn cattle, in the Bakewell 

 sheep, and in millions of hogs, have been at the expense 

 of muscle, and loss of food-value and vigor ; and in some 

 cases, of fertility. But vigor and fecundity rapidly in- 

 crease in Short-horns, or other animals, when the neces- 

 sary exercise, as the law of muscular development, and 

 increase in digestive power and food-value, is permitted or 

 enforced ; exercise increasing organized structure and 

 value, while inaction merely increases ««organized fat at 

 the expense and by the repression of muscular growth. 



The cardinal rule in breeding should be, as already stat- 

 ed, to increase food-value, or at least to maintain fullness of 

 muscle as the source of value ; and fine forms, as is well 

 shown in the Devons, which have maintained their vigor, 

 and value by natural activity in their locomotive organs. 

 And the same process is now developing muscle and value 

 in thousands of grades of Short-horns, and probably mill- 

 ions of other cattle, with many horses, on the open West- 

 ern grazing grounds, affording a vast increase in foodj and 

 improvement in food-quality and value, as the result of 

 regular activity. 



It is the influence of regular exercise that increases nu- 

 tritive value, juicy quality, and good flavor in any sort of 

 meat ; but inaction destroys these good qualities, in 

 great degrees, by displacing them with structureless fat, 

 that has little or no direct food-value. 



To our view, special exercise, if voluntary activity is in- 

 sufficient, is quite as necessary to develop and maintain 



*''Ah exertion favors nutrition and tlio liealtliy development of active 

 parts, inaction impairs nutrition, reduces tlie size of tlie muscles, and 

 yives rise to feebleness.'' — Huxley's Physi., p. 4;ili. 



