BEEF CATTLE. 289 



be prejudiced in their favor — perhaps I am — but the oftener I 

 look at them, and the more minutely I compare them with other 

 breeds of cattle, the better I like them.* 



"The Highlander is so small I do not take him into view in this 

 comparison. His live weight, I should think, is from 700 to 900 

 pounds, as the extremes of steers brought to market. The best 

 of them are as near perfection of form as you can imagine — 

 exactly like a small, well bred south-down sheep, in comparison 

 to other sheep. The heads and horns are fine, eyes bright and 

 prominent, face dished, and small muzzles, with large nostrils — 

 better in the crops than any other animal, being as full and 

 round as the very best of others over the shoulders, and preserv- 

 ing this fullness and roundness much further on each side of the 

 back-bone towards the hips. I wish I had had time to see one 

 cut up by a butcher — as I had not — as he must carry an extra 

 nice, lean, tender, juicy piece along the back. The brisket is 

 equal to the best short-horns, for their size, and they are as well 

 let down in the twist as the best south-down sheep. The hair is 

 soft and long, so you may judge what a nice little beast he is — 

 in fact, to other cattle, what an Arabian is to other horses. You 

 cannot improve him by a short-horn cross. Select the best and 

 improve them by themselves, is the true way. As to the colors 

 of the different herds of Highlands I saw, I should think two- 

 thirds were black; most of the others a hght yellow, slightly 

 inclined to dun, or light mouse color. I prefer the yellow, and 

 have no doubt but they handle best ; at any rate, they are the 

 handsomest to my eye, and with continued selection, might be 

 soon bred of that color almost entirely. 



"Of the polled Scotch black — Galloway or Angus — the best 

 do not weigh more than about two hundred pounds over the 



* Ever since he knew them, Mr. A. has been an enthusiaetic admirer of the short- 

 horns.— L. F. A. 



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