16 INTROnUCTOUY REMARKS: 



9. 7%e loin should be flat and wide — the side lying parallel, and nearly as high as the chine — 

 almost as wide at the fore as at the hinder pait ; being an indication of tho :ibs bowing out, 

 which is desirable. 



10. TTie hip or huckle bones should be wide apart, coming upon a level with the chine, to the 



first touch or setting on of the tail. 



11. The first touch or tip of the rump should be tolerably wide, so that the tail drop in a level 



between the two points. The tail should come out broad, as an indication of a flat chine. 

 19. The thigh should not be too full outside nor behind, which is always an indication of bully 



flesh, but the inside or t\vi8t should be full. 

 1^. The hock or hough should be flat and rather thin, not coarse and gummy, which indicates 



coarseness in the animal. 



14. The hind leg should be flat and thin. The lejs of a medium length, and the hock or hough 



rather turning out. 



15. The feet or claws not too bioad. 



16. The flank should be full and heavy when the animal is fat, indicative of being fat inside. 



17. 7%e helly should not drop belovt^ the breast, but in a horizontal line with it 



18. The brisket. 



19. The shoulder should be rather flat, not projecting. 



20. The foreleg should be also flat and upright, but not fleshy. 



SI. The round or pot-bone should not project, but lie flat wiUi the outside of the thigh. 



22. The under jaw. — The jaws should be rather wide, particularly for beasts intended for work- 



ing, as it affords them gi'eater liberty to breathe. 



23. The chap should be fine, indicating a disposition to feed. 



24. !Z%e ribs should spring nearly horizontally from die chine, the sides round forming a circle ; 



in which case the auimal will never drop in the belly, and will lay its meat on the prime 

 parts. The great objection to the Sussex breed of cattle is that they are too sharp in the 

 chine, and the ribs too flat. When this is the case, the animal will always drop in the 

 belly, and seldom lay its meat on the prime joints. 



Remarks on Breeds. 



W e have thus briefly treated of some of the many breeds of cattle considered val- 

 uable as dairy stock in Britain ; but we pretend not to give any decided opinion as 

 to which IS bestl The merits of each kind have been vigorously contested by tneir 

 respective advocates, and it would be extremely difficult to decide between them. 

 Upon the form and qualifications of a perfect Cow, it ought to be observed, that 

 whatever breed is selected, there is a wide difference between the form of one 

 meant for fattening and that intended for the dairy. The Grst should resemble 

 the Ox as nearly as possible ; while the latter should be long and thin on the 

 head, with a brisk, quiet eye, lank in the neck, narrow across the shoulders, but 

 broad at the haunches ; and there should be no tendency to become fat. The ud- 

 der should be large and full looking, but not protruding too far behind ; the teats 

 all pointing out and downward, equal in size and rather long and taperiog ; all 

 corresponding with the signs or escutcheons as given in this book. A Cow with 

 a high back-bone, large head, small udder, and showing an inclination to become 

 fat, will be found to be a bad milker. This description applies to all breeds ; and 

 of course tlie difference between a Cow foi« fattening and one for yielding milk 

 will be comparative. 



Mr. Alton mentions the following as the most important qualities of the Dairy 

 Cow: — " Tameness and docility of temper greatly enhance its value. One that 

 is quiet and contented feeds at ease, does not break over fences, or hurt herself 

 or other cattle, will always yield more milk than than those who are of a turcc- 

 lent disposition. To render them docile, they ought to be gently treated, fre- 

 quently handled when young, and never struck or frightened. Some degree of 

 hardiness, however, a sound constitution, and a moderate degree of life and spir- j 

 its, aw qualities to be wished for in a milch Cow, and what those of Ayrshire ; 

 generally possess. Some have thought that a Cow living on a small quantity of l 

 ■i\ food was a valuable quality, but that will depend upon the quantity of milk giv- { 

 I en by the Cow that eats little compared with those that eat much. If the Cow j 

 ^ that eats little gives as much milk as the one that eats more, it certainly is a val- 

 uable quality ; but of this I entertain doubts, which forty years' experience and ' 

 observation have served to confirm. Speculative writers amrm that, some Cows : 

 will fatten as well, and yield as much milk, when fed on coarse as others will do 

 on rich food. Cows that have been reared and fed on coarse pasture will yield 

 some milk of a good qtiality, and from which the. best butter may be extracted ; 

 while a Cow that has been reared and fed on much better pasture, would, if turn- 

 ed on that which is bad, give scarcely any milk. With persons living in towns 

 i bnd villages, and keeping biit a single Cow, with opportunity of grazing on the 



