TEE AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



43 



the horse destroyed, and on post-mortem 

 examination verified D.V.S. Woollatt's 

 diagnosis. 



There have been very few cases of 

 horsesickness in my district during this 

 season up to the present. 



I had one case of strangles. 



GREYTOWN— D.V.S. CORDY. 

 Scab. — I am pleased to say this District 

 is once more declared free from the 

 disease. 



An outbreak of strangles among the 

 horses of Natives on the farm Craigieburn, 

 Western Umvoti Division, occurred dur- 

 ing the month. 



Bulls and Bull Buyers, 



THE Buenos Ay res Herald has the 

 following article, no doubt inspired 

 by the criticisms of judges and the public 

 generally at the recent bull sales in the 

 Argentine : — 



It must be understood that, when the 

 first perfect ball was made, the 

 mould was broken and the pieces dis- 

 tributed to diS:erent pedigree farms. This 

 was done to give room for diversity of 

 opinion, because if that original ball had 

 come out to the River Plate estancieros 

 and majordomos would find no topic to 

 talk about ; of course the importer of the 

 excellent animal would be supposed to 

 knovv nothing about him. His business 

 is to stand and listen to his merits and 

 faults. He is a dummy who brings the 

 animal here, he bought it with his eyes 

 shut, in fact he does not know whether 

 it is a bull or a bear. 



The estanciero and his majordomo are 

 the special intervention of Providence 

 sent to relieve his mind as to the qualities 

 of the animal. When the unfortunate 

 exporter has seen all his bull's faults and 

 his shortcomings, when his form and 

 pedigree hpve been overhauled, then he 

 abhors the animal, he sees the folly of 

 judgment, he sells him hurriedly and 

 returns to the land of his birth a sadder 

 and richer rnan. 



Now bulls have been known to refuse 

 their food through Hdver£;e criticism over- 

 heard by them, but in time, like theatrical 

 artists, they get used to it. You see if 

 the bull has got the form in the chest, he 

 lacks it in the shoulder, if he has it in the 

 loins, he lacks it in the quarters ; loins 

 and shoulders allowed perfect, he falls 

 away too much at the tail. Then if the 

 loins, etc. are perfect, he is bound to lack 

 a rib or have one too many. His head is 

 too long, pug nose preferred. His teeth 

 are too hard, or he has an eye-lash too 

 many. Heaven help the bull if his head 



is any way graceful ! Then he becomes 

 cow-headed. If a black bull has a white 

 tongue his character is ruined for ever. 

 If a red beast has a white breast he won't 

 take the water or drop to gun. Unfor- 

 tunate is the animal that has a black spot 

 on his pink muzzle ; he is scratched for 

 every race. Probably it may be a splash 

 from the auction clerk's ink pot, no 

 matter, he is no class. Perhaps his 

 mother got frightened by a spotted 

 carriage dog just before he was born ; it 

 is immaterial, his progeny are liable to 

 change these spots (when grazing). He 

 is just as unlucky as the widow Leary's 

 cow that burned Chicago ; if the beast's 

 horn is too long, he is rough and shaggy, 

 if too short, certainly it has been faked. 



Man has been known to chew his lip 

 through mortification, and surely some of 

 the sale yard bulls must chew their cud 

 for the same reason when they hear all 

 the mean remarks passed about them. 

 Then the ordinary bull is comparatively 

 happy, as the eyes of the critics are not 

 so strongly on him. But his dreams are 

 often disturbed when some extra special 

 experts punch him up with their um- 

 brellas at all times in the day, and pass 

 him in silent contempt. 



If the opinions of all the River Plate 

 judges were melted and cast in a mould 

 to make their model of a bull, there is 

 no doubt but that the icthyosaturus and 

 the Ptagonian Mylodon would have to 

 take a back seat. 



Comtrent is made from time to time on the 

 poor class of Shire horse exported. But is this 

 to be wondered at if the price offered is very 

 small ? High prices in this country do not 

 permit the foreigner to have a very exalted 

 opinion of the Sire horse, if he judges by 

 exported specimens. The Clydesdale, on the 

 other hand, experiences no such demand as the 

 English cart horse ; consequently a better class 

 of horse is exported. That is why the Clydes- 

 dale carried olf the honours at Chicago. — The 

 Fwrmer, 



