On Sliort-hom Cattle. 
207 
wide, especially those of a female, which should be wider in pro- 
portion than those of the male. The shape of the hip is difficult 
to describe, but should be something like a round-pointed triangle 
with one end hangfing downwards, and on putting the fingers on 
to the centre a hollow will be found. The loin should be flat and 
wide ; and when lean, two knobs or pens should be felt, which, 
when fat, will be the base of two ribs, called false ribs, which con- 
nect the hip and rib together in mass. The part commonly called 
" the space" from the hip to the rib is generally recommended 
to be short ; still it must be borne in mind that the beef on this 
part is of more value than any other : and if the loin be flat and 
wide, and the rib high and round, no ill effects will proceed from 
a moderate length of space, and it unquestionably gives that length 
and grandeur to the character of an animal which is very desirable : 
it is the want of a wide loin and round rib, and not the length of 
space, that causes gut. The rib should come well out of the back, 
and be broad, round, and deep. (It has been taught that the top 
of the back and underneath the belly should form two parallel 
lines, but there are few graziers who do not know the value of a 
good deep body, more especially in a Highland Scot.) On put- 
ting the fingers and thumb on each side of the rib, and drawing 
them together, the skin should be thick, pliant, and mellow, 
and the hand be filled with long soft hair ; and the feel under- 
neath should be smooth and pleasant. The sensation derived 
from a fine touch is delightful to an amateur breeder, but cannot 
be defined : few things denote a good hardy constitution more 
than a thick soft skin, full of long hair. Putting the finger and 
thumb on each side of the rib as above described is called 
"handling" in the North, but in the Midland and Southern 
counties it is generally called " quality." Whether that term 
had its origin at Smithfield we need not inquire, but certain it is 
that Mr. Charles Colling knew of no such word as applicable to 
inclination to fatten. " Quality" is frequently used to denote 
firmness of flesh, and sometimes it is misapplied, as in hardness of 
flesh, but seldom used to signify inclination to fatten : the mistake 
in this particular has done much harm to many herds of short- 
horns. Let handling and quality go together in a fat animal, 
and a good-bred short-horn will have waxy beef, under a loose, 
pliant hide, full of soft long hair ; but in a poor beast, " handling " 
is the only test to discern the inclination to fatten. Handling is 
the most important subject we have to consider : it is the grand 
characteristic of a short-horn. Of what value would an animal be, 
possessed of perfect symmetry, if he could not be made fat with- 
out extraordinary keep ? It has been said above, that it was Mr. 
Charles Colling's fine touch in this particular that enabled him to 
bring the Ketton short-horns to their unrivalled state of excellence : 
