50 The Early Fattening of Cattle and Sheep. 
out a great deal of artificial aid. But the Devons, with all their 
merits, would not have won for their ownei'S such a superfluity 
of silver plate, if they did not share with the other beef-making 
breeds the merit of making the best possible use of their food. 
They are, in fact, fast flesh-formiug animals whose meat is of the 
finest quality. 
I have no desire to magnify the merits of any particular 
breed, but I think we may recognise the enterprising search 
for good and quick beef-makers in the advance of Sussex 
cattle in the favour of the public. I remember them a heavy 
and a hardy breed, well suited for the rough pasturage of 
Sussex, and for wintering well in straw-yards on rather short 
commons, their food chiefly arising from the daily thumping of 
the flail. Few turnips were grown in those days, and the cattle 
had to " rough it " in straw-yards in winter, and in clover, grass, 
and stubble fields during the rest of the year. They were a big 
breed, however, and Mr. Youatt was able to describe them, sixty 
years ago, as having deep, round barrels, straight backs, big 
bellies, great capacity of the parts containing the heart, lungs, 
and digestive organs, and wide loins with " spread-out " hip- 
bones. They were well ribbed up, too ; but they had not the 
beauty and symmetry of the Devons, and although they made a 
great weight of beef at three or four years old, or later after 
their period of service as working oxen was over, the principle 
of early maturity had not been specially developed in their case 
as it has been since. At the present time, I believe, no one will 
dispute that few breeds have recently attracted more attention 
than the Sussex, and that their special merit is acknowledged 
to be the production of a large amount of beef of good quality, on 
a moderate amount of food, at an eaidy age. Competition is too 
keen to admit of any breed getting far ahead of others ; but 
although the Sussex cattle may be equalled as economic meat- 
makers they are certainly unsurpassed. The carcass test is not 
yet applied at the Shows of the Smithfleld Club, as it has been 
for many years at Chicago, Kansas, and elsewhere ; but among 
the butchers' reports of prize beasts sold at the Show of 1888, a 
Sussex beast came out best in the proportion of dressed carcass 
to live weight. The Sussex cattle are still blemished by a certain 
coarseness and want of symmetry, but their breeders are getting 
rid of these faults, and they are doing so, one may hope, and 
obtaining fine bone and mellow skin, and the sweet countenance 
and beauty of form of the dainty Devons, without sacrificing 
the large frames and the hardy and robust constitution of 
the Sussex breed. The first volume of the Sussex Herd-book 
is dated 1879 ; but breeders now grown old have told me 
