CHARCOAL, CROWS, AND BLACK-BIRDS.-THE OX CHARLES. 
77 
Muscles of the Breast. —The muscles of the breast 
are very important. They are largely concerned in 
the expansion of the chest; and are the power by 
which the arm in rapid motion is confined to the 
side, and thus keep the leg in a straight line before 
the horse. The chief of these is the pair of trans¬ 
verse muscles of the breast. They form two full 
points in the front of the breast; they spring from 
the upper and front part of the breast, consisting of 
the four first bones of the breast, and are attached 
to the lower end of the lower bone of the shoulder, 
extend backward between the legs, pass across the 
inside of the arm, and reach from the elbow almost 
to the knee. These muscles act to place the fore 
legs in that position which will allow them to re¬ 
ceive the weight of the body in the easiest manner, 
and with the least shock. 
The great and small muscles of the breast lie above 
and behind the transverse muscles; they extend 
from the breast bone to the arm of the shoulder; 
their office is to draw back the point of the shoul¬ 
der and bring it into the upright position. There is 
still another muscle which goes from the breast | 
bone to the shoulder blade. It assists in the same 
office as the great and small breast muscles. It is 
less in size than either of the others. A horse not 
well developed in the muscles of the breast will be 
deficient in power. He will not have the power 
to expand perfectly the chest, so that the lungs 
must suffer when taxed by violent motion to in¬ 
creased action; and this even if the lungs be large 
enough. Nor will the horse be able to use his fore 
legs to full advantage. These breast muscles must 
be large to allow the horse to avail himself of the 
full power of the muscles which are used to propel 
forward his carcase. The progressive muscles have 
enough work of their own to do, and will not long 
last if called on to do that of other parts. These 
breast muscles have more to do in supporting 
the weight of the body and giving direction to 
motion than in creating motion; if they be not 
competent to their office, other muscles are called 
upon to overwork themselves to supply the de¬ 
ficiency, viz. the muscles of the shoulder and 
haunch in motion, and the muscles between the 
body and shoulders and the muscles of the belly 
(abdominal muscles) in breathing. Then the breast 
muscles should be large to produce and preserve 
a proper balance both in action and breathing. 
CHARCOAL, CROWS, AND BLACK-BIRDS. 
Pounded charcoal, or the refuse of the heap, 
should be thickly strewed over every place where 
filth is allowed to accumulate. It absorbs the bad 
smell, and makes an excellent manure of what 
otherwise would not only be useless but offensive. 
It also prevents the larvae of insects from becoming 
flies or moths. Pigs like to eat charcoal, and are 
thought to fatten on it; and in the course of the 
summer months, I frequently have a bushel or so 
at a time thrown over the pen. It makes the ma¬ 
nure so much more valuable that I find it worth 
while to buy it for the purpose; and in so doing 
the pens are never offensive. 
Is it true that black-birds and crows do more 
harm than good ? and is it necessary to poison or 
shoot the pretty creatures, in order to secure our 
crops of corn from destruction? Doctors, or I 
should say farmers, differ so much about it, that as 
I am neither one nor the other, I feel quite incom¬ 
petent to give an opinion on so grave a question, 
or offering myself as a judge between the contend¬ 
ing parties; yet I love the whole race of birds, and 
have heard some good arguments advanced in their 
favor, and should like to hear more in support of 
my favorites. Rookeries are protected by law, in 
England, yet I guess they destroy cut-worms and 
corn about as effectually as crows or black-birds do 
for us. What light can Reviewer throw on this 
very dark subject ? 
Eutawah. E. S. 
THE OX CHARLES. 
This fine ox (or steer as the butchers call him 
and every bullock under seven years of age), was 
bred by Edward Leroy, at Avon, Livingston county. 
New York, roan in color, and was calved in 
May, 1841. He was got by Mr. Leroy’s imported 
Short Horn bull Windle—(5567) vol. 4th of the 
Herd Book ; his dam by the Short Horn bull Avon 
(owned by Mr. Leroy and bred by John Hare Pow¬ 
ell, of Philadelphia); his grandam was an imported 
Dutch cow. 
In 1825, the late Hermon Leroy (father of Ed¬ 
ward Leroy), of the city of New York, imported 
from Holland twelve cows and a bull of the black 
and white Dutch cattle. They were placed on the 
farm of Edward Leroy, at Avon, and bred under 
his supervision. The original stock were all great 
milkers, but bad handlers, and poor thrivers as beef 
cattle. Possessing great constitutional stamina, 
they offered a capital original for improvement. Mr, 
Leroy’s object was to improve the carcase and pre¬ 
serve ihe milking quality. To effect this he re¬ 
sorted to the Short Horn bull. He procured, at 
different periods, two from J. H. Powell, of known 
milking families, and bred the imported cows and 
their descendants to them. In 1835 he imported 
from England the bull Windle, bred by Mr. Pilking- 
ton, of Windle Hall, Lancashire, got by Hopewell, 
dam Moss Rose (bred by Mr. Stephenson, at Stock¬ 
ton-on-Tees, and of his choice blood of the Princess 
tribe) got by Waterloo—(2816) 3d vol. Herd Book. 
The daughte/s of his two first Short Horn bulls 
were bred to Windle. The greatest care was taken 
to preserve in its original fullness the milking quali¬ 
ty, and the result has been a great feeding quality 
added to great capacity for milk. 
Of this strain was the ox Charles. He was sold 
when a calf to Mr. Olyphant of Mount Morris, 
Livingston Co. by whom he was raised and fed. 
From a calf he showed at all times a great feeding 
quality, and at five years had attained a live weight 
of 2700 lbs. He was shown in September, 1846, 
at the show of the Agricultural Society of the State 
of New York, at Auburn, and won the first prize 
as the best fat animal shown. He was brought to 
New York and exhibited at the show of the Ame¬ 
rican Institute, in October, 1846, and won the first 
prize as the best shown. He was then sold to 
Thomas H. Devoe, of the Jefferson Market, Sixth 
Avenue, New York, and was slaughtered and ex¬ 
hibited at that market on Christmas day. Finer 
beef was never seen or eaten. The whole carcase 
was evenly covered with fat, and the beef was 
beautifully maibled, cutting up in the most spark- 
