§0 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
The throat-latch (to use a common expres¬ 
sion) is required by fancy to be light and 
slim, and for a little chubbiness the whole 
animal is made to take a back position, while 
it is very generally a good index to a good 
feeder and a thick animal. It seems curious 
that our half-fledged Short Horn fanciers 
generally see more to condemn than to com¬ 
mend, very frequently sacrificing the real 
merits for a few fancy points. Fancy puts 
great stress on a long slim neck—one that 
can hold a high head. Reality says that a 
neck that is long enough to reach to tho ground 
to driuk aud tocat is long enough. TTuneco 
sary weight is objectionable, because it is 
low priced beef, aud the less of it the better, 
other things being equal. In our prejudice 
we forgot that a thick, short neck sometimes 
woiglis less than a long, slim om besides 
being generally by a body that corresponds, 
especially as to thickness. 
Fancy, perhaps, looks over more and ear- 
i ries it further into tire ranks of breeders in 
the shoulders than most any part of the ani¬ 
mal. In our prejudices against minor defects 
we frequently overlook more real merits and 
pas« them by, letting light, sharp tops, bare 
points and coarseness generally in the shoul¬ 
der, take the lead. Really there is about as 
much difference in the value of the shoulder 
by the way it is formed, as any other portion ; 
I a poor, thin, coarse shoulder is a loss alwayR 
in point, of real value, behind a good or 
smooth one, that nearly approaches in point 
of value, the higher-priced beef. Here, too, 
we get groat weight. Consequently, the 
shoulder should be considered « more weighty 
matter than some of the light fancies. 
Fancy' places great, stress on the brisket. 
Reality (the butcher) says it is not high- 
priced beef, and, intrinsically, worth but 
little, A long, prominent brisket, adds weight 
t o low priced beef without adding to t he real 
value as an index to a broad chest and strong 
constitution. Fancy makes a strong point in 
favor of a heavy brisket. The forelegs—and 
hind ones, too—fancy overlooks sometimes, 
and substitutes mill-posts in size and many 
inches in length. Reality says that soup is 
good, but costs too much to make'coarse 
shins profitable, as they never sell for what 
they cost In the carcass. 
G-’-vit weight in the crops adds to the 
value of other parts per pound over light 
ones. Fancy and prejudice frequently over¬ 
look this fact, -forgetting that light crops 
arc classed as low-priced beef, while heavy or 
thick crops, besides taking the weight from 
the paunch and offal, adds to the weight, of 
the high and valuable parts. Fancy, and 
prejudice also, frequently makes great, sacri¬ 
fice in the heart, as the light and delicate 
points so much admired, generally carries 
the same delicate proportion to the heart, 
the most vital part, of the beast. If the 
animal is light “through the heart” and 
behind the shoulders the action of that organ 
will be hampered and the robustness of the 
animal will be diminished. 
Fancy overlooks many faults in the loins 
and hips ; while Usefulness says that the 
ribs should l>e well sprung—“round as a 
barrel “—and noi too short, a little -munchi- 
ness can be overlooked, as a good feeder 
generally has someplace to put it, Louis are 
fancy cuts in reality, and should, if thick and 
broad, even if a little arched, overbalance 
many minor defects of other points. Broad 
loins necessarily make wide hips but they 
should not be rugged, nor rough—not too 
prominent, especially in ahull. 
Shanks are quite important, if good, and of 
but little importance if light. The fore-flank 
especially should be full, to give room for 
the internal organs, and to add to the value 
of the plates, A low. thick hi lid-flank is also 
very desirable, adding weight without oceu- I 
pyiug space that is needed for anything else. 
Great weight is added to valuable parts by 
having the rumps straight and square, carry¬ 
ing their width well down to the quarter. 
Peekedness is really objectionable, and, if it 
comes from hips too wide, they had better 
be narrowed. Fancy frequently protrudes 
the quarters—rouuding them up behind, 
which is frequently done at the expense of 
their length, making them “cutin ” and too 
short, besides adding coarse meat. The 
twist should be well let down, and full, as 
daylight is not much needed at that point. 
The qualit y of the quarter is much enhanced 
by being increased in weight in a few points 
at no expense of space. “Steak” comes 
down better in a straight hind leg than in a 
crooked one. Thigh bones are neeessarj', 
but might just as well be covered with meat 
as to be bare. The shorter from the ground 
or shortness, even the brush coming in for a 
full share of condemnation or praise—I sup¬ 
pose on the ground that “the beautiful 
should be encouraged, as the useful will en¬ 
courage iteelf.” “Ox-tail ” soup is about its 
only use —n ter fly-time. 
Fancy “ goes in ” on the hide with no little 
prejudice for or against certain imaginary 
qualities that are frequently taken as su¬ 
perior to the best forms and largest prepon¬ 
derance of valuable parts. Especially is the 
fancy of feeling qualities, when taken against 
the form of an animal in feeling qualities 
overestimated, as many thick or hard-hided 
animals that are well farmed will testify by 
their quick growth and .heavy weights. The 
quality of the flesh is what is*wnnted } and 
reality says that the feeling quality of tbe 
hide does not, always determine that. Of 
course, the color, thickness, pliability, etc,, 
of the hide is more of an index than a reality 
of itself. A good covering is needed, and 
that is why the animal has a hide at all. It 
is true we take advantage of it, and some¬ 
times get our foot in it in more ways than 
one. The same might be said of the hair, 
for after nature is provided for, the balance 
is nearly all fancy. Tire color of the hair, 
varying from white to red, which are sure 
tokens of .Short-Horns, is much more fancy 
than reality, and our prejudices are governed 
more by this difference than men are willing 
to acknowledge. 
So in regard to pedigrees. Fancy would 
lead us to a different conclusion, from the 
way it runs crazy after some old bull that 
lived perhaps a hundred years ago, with no 
more than a number for a pedigree—con¬ 
demning others, without any more reason, 
for doing the same thing. Reality says that 
pedigree fanciers live in “ glass houses,” 
and should lie careful about, “throwing 
stones.” Reality says that pedigree and 
form constitute the animal, and that either 
without the other will surely “plav out” 
in the end. How far we can follow fancies 
and make Stock profitable is a question that 
time alone can settle. Tlrnt many arc guilty 
(moreor less) of following fancy to the sacri¬ 
fice of reality, no one can successfully deny. 
For my own part, any fancy (or whim, if you 
please) that I can follow, without sacrificing 
usefulness, that, will please my customers— 
that they arc willing to pay for—I intend to 
follow just as long as they arc in that notion ; 
but I ain not' 'filing, while fancy demands a 
sacrifice of usefulness, to follow in the fashion 
even at the risk of being called an “old 
fogy.” These points may lie too strongly 
presented—overdrawn. If so, the writer 
BREEDING OF SHORT HORNS 
of cone. No more pinching in was practiced 
for fear of too late a growth. The result 
was the plants seemed content with a less 
growth and a large proportion of the set¬ 
tings matured. My crop was fully one half 
larger than ever before, and more than o 
half larger than that on poles this same 
year. I shall hereafter confine myself to 
this method. If the crop is raised for ripe 
beans there should be several pickings, as 
some of the pods touch the ground and in a 
wet time the beans become Etained. An¬ 
other season I shall pole with simply lath set 
deep. This will furnish something for the 
cone to cling to in a wind, and the top of the 
lath will be a good point at which to nip the 
vine. 
I would recommend to ail a trial of the 
method, but with this as with all new things 
“hasten slowly,” and never risk a whole 
crop on an experiment. 
SOU OR COMPOST FOR HOT BEDS. 
From the same source we extract Ihe fol¬ 
lowing ;—“ The finest soil for hot-bed use is 
leaf mold from the woods, with, perhaps, a 
little of the soil scraped up with it, especially 
if it be of a sandy loam, and all sifted 
through a quarter-inch sieve to remove 
sticks and trash. Even when other compost 
is used, and also for open air seed beds, leaf 
mold is excellent for covering of the seeds, 
as it Is not apt to form a crust, but remains 
open and pervious to the tender plantlets. 
But only a few are so fori unate as to have 
an abundance of this, and will do well to 
make a compost heap of old sods from a 
Randy loam, and an equal quantity of 
manure in alternate layers, and, if possible, 
give all the house wash, or at least, enough 
of water to keep it damp. When rotted 
down (from one to four years), it Rhould be 
shoveled over and sifted, and is ready for 
use. Sand should be added in the sifting, if 
the soil did not naturally possess enough to 
make it light. But this demands time, and 
often some substitute must be provided for 
immediate use. Rich bottom land with one- 
quarter its bulk of fine rotten manure thor¬ 
oughly worked over and sifted, with such 
additions of sand as may be needed to keep 
it loose and light, can be made to answer a 
good use. My own beds are made on a 
sandy soil, so that after carting off the 
manure I scrape off an inch or less of the 
soil, together with the scattering manure, 
and throw into a pile until wanted for use. 
This, having received the rich Icachingsof 
the beds, is full of fertility in its most avail¬ 
able form, and already nos*esses sand enough 
to be warm and light. A part at least of tbe 
year’s supply should be sifted in th« Fall be¬ 
fore the rains and while only naturally 
moist, and stored in convenient hfns with 
temporary roofs, so as to be accessible when 
the first beds are made. 
GARDENERS’ NOTES, 
