the Devon Breed of Cattle. 
Ill 
to establish an interchange of minds among breeders, and to fix 
attention to (lirtoront sorts of blood ; so that the Devons, instead 
of being confined as formerly to their native county and West 
Somerset, have been conveyed to new homes at the Royal Farms 
near Windsor, to many counties in the United Kingdom, to 
Mexico, Jamaica, Canada, Australia, France, and the United 
States of America, where there are many valuable herds doing 
well, as the following extract from a letter from Mr. Daniel 
Steinmetz, of Pennsylvania, written last year, proves. He says, 
"Devon cattle are thriving in America; they are a profitable 
breed, and withstand changes of soil and temperature well." 
In their original strongholds they have been largely kept by 
tenant farmers from time immemorial, clearly proving that they 
are a good rent-paying breed, especially in cold hilly districts, 
where more bulky animals would fare badly ; they rapidly out- 
strip most others when kept on rich land, and experience proves 
that they will flourish anywhere under proper treatment. If any 
are bold enough to state that the progeny do not maintain the 
high character of their parents for symmetry and quality in any 
particular district, let tiiem ask themselves whether the dete- 
rioration (if it exist) be not mainly attributable to their own igno- 
rance of the true principles of breeding, and a lack of knowledge 
to select the male by which any particular female will be likely 
to produce the most valuable offspring. It is only by a thorough 
knowledge of those laws and their proper application that we 
can ever hope to improve, or even to maintain, any kind of stock 
in a state of excellence. It does not necessarily follow that well- 
bred females will produce really first class offspring, unless they 
are put to those males best suited to them in character, form, 
and quality. The generality of farmers should confine their 
attention to the production of beef, leaving bull-breeding to those 
few who possess capital, skill, and the powers of observation so 
indispensable to a successful prosecution of this difficult and pre- 
carious department of business. Some people think that the 
Devons generally were larger 30 or 40 years ago, and instance 
the dairy of cows which the late Mr. Michael Thome once turned 
into North Molton fair: that the latter were gay-headed, upstand- 
ing, useful animals no one can deny ; at the same time it is 
asserted by good judges who can remember them, that they were 
deficient in those extra rich symmetrical " gems " which have 
since won our Royal Agricultural Prizes, and in that high quality, 
perfect symmetry, and dejpth of frame, now to be met with in our 
best dairies. It was not uncommon in those days to allow 
heifers to attain, and sometimes to exceed, the age of 4 years 
before calving : thus their growth was unchecked : at present, 
partly from the necessity of bringing them into pay earlier, and 
