JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 19, 1882. ] 
377 
He says : — “ The outline of a fat Devon very nearly approaches 
a parallelogram — angular bony projections are rarely found 
amongst the best bred ones, but their frame is level from the top 
of the shoulders to the tail. The belly is longitudinally straight 
and well filled out at the flanks, which should be easily found by 
the unbent fingers ; the breast is wide, and comes out prominently 
between the fore legs, extending down to within two or three 
inches of the knee-joint and towards the udder in rolls of fat. 
The neck is rather long and thin, increasing towards the shoulder, 
which is tapered off to meet it where the neck-vein forms a 
sort of collar in front of the shoulders, connecting the fat of the 
shoulder with the fat of the breast. In the fore quarters the 
Devons probably excel all other breeds by the shoulders being 
placed so obliquely that there is no hollow behind them, but the 
part is well filled out with good flesh and fat, preserving an un¬ 
broken line, and promoting a uniform covering of fat throughout 
every part; commencing at the rump, over the pin bone, edge of 
the loins, ribs, shoulders, and on to the neck, without patch or 
excess of any kind. In breeding it is most important to get 
animals with shoulders placed obliquely, for it is found in practice 
to be much more difficult and to require a longer time to correct 
the fore quarter than the hind quarters. It is a remarkable fact 
in the form of the best Devons that their shoulders are so placed 
and packed that they can, like a similarly formed horse, go up 
and down the steep and rugged northern Devonshire hills with 
much greater facility than what are called the ‘large Devons.’ ” 
We do not dispute that the description here given is the pattern 
to be adopted, and has been the practice of the best breeders for 
a long series of years ; but we say that the general character of 
the Devon cattle as a whole is especially defective in the fore 
quarter, very light without that prominence at the breast as is 
generally the case with the Herefords and Shorthorns. It is, 
however, extremely important that the fore quarter should be 
heavy and full, not only for the advantage of the grazier, but also 
for the benefit of those who work them in the fields, for it must 
be admitted that the weight and power given to the animal by 
heavy sound fore quarters is especially desirable whilst working in 
the collar or yoke. It is true that quite a revolution has occurred 
in the matter of working oxen since steam power has been intro¬ 
duced ; but as we have often taken occasion to show the value of 
ox labour irrespective of steam power, we hold that the revolution 
is not yet complete, but must acknowledge the superior claim of 
early maturity, which induces breeders to turn their money more 
quickly by sending “baby beef ” to the market in preference to 
feeding or rearing their cattle for working purposes, or for feed¬ 
ing at full age and heavy weights. We, however, hold the opinion 
that the question of ox labour is worth the consideration of the 
home farmer, if he will take the opportunity of purchasing Devon 
oxen broken-in to work, and use them for the summer months, 
and afterwards place them in the boxes for fatting during the 
winter months, the chief point being to keep them at the same 
cost as the horses during their labour, by which means they will 
be doing their work effectually, and daily growing into valuable 
animals for fattening in the winter months. The Devons are 
certainly noble animals for work on the farm in the absence of 
steam power. 
In looking over the Devon cattle at the great fair at Hampton 
and others as well as at the cattle shows, we have been struck with 
the great difference in the animals although of the same origin and 
breed ; for we find that large and bulky animals of the same 
character are co-existent with a warm climate and rich pasturage, 
whereas smaller types and styles and their varieties are met with 
in colder hill districts and on poorer soils. In proof of this 
we may direct attention to the larger class of Devons with long 
and softer hair, bred in the fertile vale of Taunton Deane, as com¬ 
pared with those bred amongst the hills of North Devon, so cele¬ 
brated for their short rich curly coats, which they usually lose 
after a change to a better pasturage in a vale district, with its 
warmer climate and its richer grazing land, but which pleasing 
style of coat cattle brought from a distance generally acquire by 
the end of autumn after having been summer-grazed on those hill 
pastures. There can now be no doubt that the original seat of 
the Devon cattle was in the district bounded by the river Taw on 
the west, extending from Barnstaple to about the point where the 
South Molton Railway station is now situated, from thence to 
Bampton, Wivlescombe, Taunton, then turning towards Williton, 
and on to the Bristol Channel, which forms its northern boundary. 
Vancouver, in treating of Devon cattle in his “Report of the 
Farming of Devonshire,” published in 1808, says, “They are an , 
important breed of animals, active at work, and their aptitude 
to fatten is unrivalled,” but further states “ they were then de¬ 
clining in their general standard of excellence and numbers,” 
which he traced to the great sale for them to other parts of 
England, where the purchasers (Mr. Coke, afterwards Earl of 
Leicester, and others), spared neither pains nor price to obtain 
those of the highest proof and beauty.” A little later many 
breeders were tempted, by the excessively high prices offered 
during our wars with America and France, to sell even their 
best cows or heifers at great prices for slaughter, their fattening 
propensity being so great that then, as at present, even milch 
cows were in the autumn almost fit for the butcher. At this time, 
also, purchasers from a distance carried off many of the choicest 
animals at what were then considered enormous prices, to found 
new herds in various other counties. Fortunately there were some 
spirited and intelligent men in the country who were justly proud 
of their native breed, and who would not be tempted by high war 
prices and by other offers to part with their best animals, but 
retained and handed them with their offspring down to their 
descendants, in whose possession in various instances they still 
remain. Among these breeders were the Messrs. Quartly of 
Molland, Davy of Rose Ash and North Molton, Merson and 
Michael Thorne of North Molton, the Halses of Holland, and 
others. Seeing what was taking place, that the best cattle were 
being killed for beef or bought and carried out of the district, 
the late Mr. Francis Quartly, a most enterprising man, sometimes 
outbid the butchers in order to obtain a very superior beast 
possessing the qualification he thought most important; thus he 
selected the best from many hands, and by breeding from and 
intermingling them with his own, he brought the Champson herd 
to great perfection. Cattle shows were not at that period gene¬ 
rally established, so that few, if any, opportunities occurred of 
testing the merits of several herds by actual comparison. Soon 
afterwards one was established at Torringtou ; further on, and 
about 1831, the Devon Agricultural Society was founded at Exeter, 
and soon followed by others at Barnstaple, TauntoD, &c., all hold¬ 
ing annual exhibitons, affording the public opportunities of com¬ 
paring the relative merits of the various herds of animals more 
generally kept. Since then the establishment of railways and 
steamships have helped to bring out sales, giving increased facili¬ 
ties to purchasers from all parts of the world, including Canada, 
Australia, continental countries, and the United States of America. 
The reports from all parts are very satisfactory, stating “ That 
Devon cattle are thriving, and are a profitable breed abroad as 
well as at home, and that they withstand the changes of soil and 
temperature well.” 
(To be continued.) 
WORK ON THE HOME FARM. 
Horse Labour .—The late rains have enabled the Clover leas to be 
ploughed on the driest soils, so that ploughing, pressing, sowing, or 
drilling may be accomplished simultaneously—a matter of great im¬ 
portance when we consider the difficulties which may occur in the 
event of the rains continuing to be unusually heavy during the best 
period of sowing the hill and dry vale lands, which may be stated to 
be between October 1st and November 1st. Upon the strong soils, 
especially flat-lying fields, the October month is the safest month for- 
seeding them with Wheat; and as these soils are usually prepared 
for Wheat by a fallow or fallow green crop, the management required 
is not so easy and straightforward as for lea ground. All, or nearly 
all, strong cold soils are subject to weeds, which in the early summer 
months frequently injure or ruin the Wheat crop unless the seed has 
been drilled at from 10 to 12 inches between the rows of plants, and 
which can be done most effectually at the time of ploughing, either 
bv the presser drill or ordinary drill, as fast as the land is ploughed. 
In the event of the drilling being deferred to a future day we have 
on some occasions known that it never could be seeded at all until 
the spring of the year. We are strong upon these points, because the 
best managed farm in a certain county under our knowledge from 
the year 1833 to the year 1871, both strong land on chalk as well 
as light land, the practice was to drill all corn, both Wheat and 
Lent corn, at 12 inches apart between the lines, and this was dme 
with the very best results, yielding the largest crops of the best 
quality, of Barley especially ; and although we have noticed the agri¬ 
cultural practices in many counties, this farm of over 1500 acres was 
the best managed as regards growth of corn we had ever seen during 
the before-named period. The quantity of seed to be used, if not 
a vexed question, has not been decided by any rule as.to quantity, 
but we consider 2 bushels in October with the land in good con¬ 
dition quite enough, but in November, dependant upon the weather, 
2J to 3 bushels is none too much. 
With respect to sorts of Wheat adapted for certain districts, under 
the heading of “ Seed Corn for the Autumn Period ” we have treated 
the question fully, and based our advice to the home farmers upon 
our own knowledge and experience. There are, however, certain new 
sorts of Wheat now offered by Messrs. Carter, Messrs. Webb, and 
other seed merchants which are highly recommended, and are stated 
to have produced full outside crops, some of which have been grown 
under the directions of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. 
The successful growers, and the system of culture adopted upon the 
soils named, is well worth the attention of the home farmer, but 
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