34dr AMERICAN AG-RIGULTURIST. [November, 
EXAMINING ANIMALS AERIVING AT MARKET. — Engraved for the American Agriculturist. 
Inspection of Animals Destined for 
Slaughter. 
The spirited engraving which we here pre¬ 
sent is of a scene which occurs nowhere in this 
country. It represents a quay in London, where 
cattle from the crowded barges in the river 
are l)eing landed, and each one, as it arrives 
upon the dock, undergoes the careful examina¬ 
tion of the veterinary inspector. Tlie preva¬ 
lence of the cattle plague excites interest in this 
subject in the public mind, and so the Illus¬ 
trated London News, from which we copy the 
picture, takes this ojjportunity to show its read¬ 
ers what the system of inspection is and how it 
Avorks. To us in America it serves as a remind¬ 
er that here Ave have nothing of the kind, except 
the vague fear of punishment for committing 
certain very illy defined crimes, provided they 
be proved to have been wilfully committed, 
Avhich it is very hard to do. 
We have no doubt, indeed Avehave the knoAvl- 
edge, that cattle, sheep and swine exhausted by 
cruel treatment, lack of Avater or food, hard 
driving, etc., or sick from any cause, and likely 
to die, arc killed, and, if the blood Avill only 
hoAV, their ficsli is sold in the open market. To 
the dishonest butcher or drover, Avhile life re¬ 
mains there is hope, and this hope is not ahvays 
extinguished by the (nn)natural death of the poor 
famished, heated exhausted beast, for there is 
many a low meat store in this city Avhere fresh 
meat, full of blood, and fairly oozing disease at 
every pore, may be seen offered for sale. Nor 
is it only in our large cities that this great 
Avrong exists, for Avhere hogs are driven in on 
foot from the country surrounding some of 
the great packing houses at the West, wag¬ 
ons follow the drove, and the Aveak are picked 
up, the dying killed and taken up also, and 
the dead undergo the farce of throat cutting, 
etc., and are cared for in the same waj^ No 
doubt, also, all, in the shape of extra or prime 
mess pork, are finally eaten—Avith what conse¬ 
quences no one can accurately determine. 
The need of Avell educated veterinarians is 
becoming daily more urgent, that AA'hen public 
opinion is educated up to demanding the thor¬ 
ough inspection of animals destined for slaugh¬ 
ter, the men may be upon the ground. This 
giAms us another opportunity to commend the 
profession of the veterinary surgeon to young 
men Avho are making choice of an employment, 
for Avhich a course of study is essential, and 
Avhere honor and profit AvilLreAvard application. 
Well-bred Animals. 
One of the advantages of thorough-bred stock 
is, that it furnishes the breeder a foundation so 
to speak, upon Avhich he can gradually build up 
a flock or herd to his OAvn ideal of useful¬ 
ness. In thorough-bred animals certain pre¬ 
vailing characteristics have become so strong- ' 
ly developed and thoroughly confirmed, that 1 
the transmission of them to their posterity be¬ 
comes almost an absolute certainty. There [is 
no danger therefore, in their case, of losing 
these general excellences, while the undesirable 
qualities are being sloAvly but surely bred out 
by a judicious pairing of animals. The princi¬ 
ples of good breeding depend upon the simple 
law “ that like begets like.” The same peculi¬ 
arity existing in both parents, Avill almost cer¬ 
tainly exhibit itself in the offspring, perhaps still 
more conspicuously. If the parents possess di¬ 
verse or opposite qualities, other things being 
equal, the offspring may be expected to repre¬ 
sent the mean. By the use of these simple 
principles, wonderful changes can be wrought 
in any kind of stock, without going outside of 
its OAvn variety, or even family. In this man¬ 
ner, the Spanish sheep have been changed in 
their many essential features by breeders in this 
country. By a similar process we knoAV that 
BakeAvell, of England, gave to the Leicesters 
their peculiar merit as mutton sheep, and in like 
manner, cattle, hogs, poultry, and other kinds 
of domestic animals have been bred so as to 
form varieties Avith fixed characteristics. On 
the other hand, let the attempt be made with 
mongrels, and the breeder can not be sure that 
the characteristics of either parent Avill appear 
in the offspring; or that the increase of differ¬ 
ent years Avill bear any great resemblance to 
each other. All hopes therefore, of establishing 
a desirable uniformity in stock in this case, are 
at an end, or at least vejy difficult of realization. 
