On  the  Farming  of  Somerset. 
681 
However,  it  was  clearly  proved  where  the  fountain  head  of  the 
breed  was,  and  the  Quartlys  have  kept  the  lead  ever  since.  Two 
of  Mr.  Quartly’s  neighbours,  Mr.  Merson  and  Mr.  Davy,  have 
also  kept  up  the  breed  in  their  families  for  more  than  a century. 
In  West  Somerset,  Mr.  Hole,  of  Knowle,  near  Dunster,  has  come 
into  the  field,  and  spares  no  expense  or  trouble  to  breed  the  very 
best.  The  names  of  many  of  the  breeders  and  feeders  near 
Taunton  are  so  well  known  at  Sinithfield,  that  I may  be  spared 
the  invidious  task  of  selection. 
Somersetshire  breeders  are  divided  in  opinion  as  to  the  merits 
of  the  pure  North  Devon  animal.  Speaking  generally  it  is  not 
in  high  favour  with  the  farmers  of  the  richer  lowlands  : they  say 
that  it  is  too  small,  that  it  has  not  a sufficient  proportion  of  lean 
meat,  and  that  it  is  not  hardy  in  constitution.  I have  also  heard 
it  maintained  that  when  it.  is  brought  into  the  Vale  it  alters  its 
character  and  becomes  coarse.  The  concurrent  evidence  of  prac- 
tical men  must  not  be  set  aside  without  careful  examination, 
though  we  must  guard  against  sweeping  generalizations  and  the 
bias  which  each  man  feels  in  favour  of  what  he  rears  and  sells. 
It  appears  that  there  are  two  important  qualities  requisite  in 
breeding  stock.  First,  the  parental  function  of  producing  a 
healthy  offspring  and  giving  milk  ; secondly,  the  aptitude  to  fatten 
quickly  : either  of  these  qualities  carried  to  an  extreme  tends  to- 
impair  the  other.  Many  breeders  in  pursuit  of  size  have  pro- 
duced coarseness;  others  in  quest  of  quality  have  found  their 
breed  degenerate  in  size  and  constitution,  or  come  to  a stand-still 
by  frequent  abortions.  It  is  proverbially  more  easy  to  get  up  a 
good  breed  than  to  keep  it  up.  Moreover,  if  bullocks  are  to 
work  as  beasts  of  labour,  for  which  the  Devons  are  so  well  suited,, 
excessive  smallness  of  bone  and  tendency  to  fat  seem  inconsistent 
with  a due  weight  of  muscle,  and  therefore  with  a fair  proportion, 
of  lean  meat  for  the  butcher. 
It  would  follow  from  the  consideration  of  these  facts  that  a 
strong  constitution,  faultless  frame,  and  a power  of  giving  milk 
should  be  secured  in  the  female,  and  that  the  highest  attainable 
tendency  to  fat  which  is  consistent  with  good  shape  and  constitu- 
tion should  be  looked  for  in  the  male. 
Bull-breeding,  in  this  view,  may  be  looked  upon  as  a distinct 
art,  for  the  successful  prosecution  of  which  the  public  are  greatly 
indebted  to  Mr.  Quartly  and  his  competitors,  and  for  which  it 
may  perhaps  be  true  that  the  climate  of  North  Devon  offers  espe- 
cial facilities. 
On  the  other  hand  it  may  be  no  less  true  that  the  Somerset 
pastures  are  favourable  to  growth  and  size,  and  that  greater  profit 
will  be  found  in  sending  large  cows  to  the  high  bred  bulls  than 
in  seeking  the  purest  blood  on  both  sides. 
