28J MAMMALIA. 



supply with material a host of useful manufactures. As a return 

 for so many services so liberally rendered, what is it that it asks 

 in return ? Nothing but a due amount of care and cleanliness, 

 a well-ventilated shed, and a sufficiency of wholesome food, the 

 manure arising from the latter paying nearly aU its expense. 



The Ox is neither so dull nor so stupid as is popularly believed ; 

 but, on the contrary, is endowed with a degree of intelligence 

 which, in certain countries, Man has developed and turned to 

 his profit ; for some of the tribes of South Africa entrust to Oxen 

 the care of their flocks, duties which the sagacious Ruminants 

 fulfil with a zeal and iatelligence worthy of all praise. Pru- 

 dence and a quick perception of danger are also qualities 

 possessed by the Ox. If, either by his own fault or that of his 

 guide, he finds himself in a dangerous place, he develops resources 

 for extricating himself quite surprising. 



When we are considering the advantages which society derives 

 from them, domestic cattle may be looked at in four different 

 aspects : as beasts of burthen, that is, producers of mechanical 

 force applicable to the cultivation of the soil ; as suppljdng milk ; 

 as furnishing meat ; and, lastly, as makers of manure or fer- 

 tilizing matter. Allowing all this, the question arises, is it 

 possible to manage the breeding and rearing of the Ox so as 

 to ensure the maximum result of all these four requirements ? 

 All the agriculturists who have had any experience in breeding 

 cattle give a negative reply to this question. Qualities so 

 different in their nature as muscular vigour, abundance of milk, 

 fitness for fattening, and richness of fertilizing residuum, cannot, 

 they say, be the attribute of one animal or one breed ; in fact, 

 they exclude one another, and one quality can onljr be encouraged 

 at the expense of the others. A good breed for work can hardly 

 at the same time be a good breed for the butcher. If, therefore, 

 any one quality is to be specially developed, the others must, to 

 some extent, be sacrificed. By this jAan perfection may, at all 

 events, be arrived at in one point, whilst by a different course of 

 procedure nothing but mediocrity can be attained. This is the 

 principle which ought to guide the agriculturist in the choice and 

 breeding of his cattle. 



Beef, after all, is the most usefid product which the Ox affords. 

 To the improvement of it must therefore tend all our efforts. 



