1846. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
47 
ness. All soft, mucky, or spongy soil should be re¬ 
fected. Nothing better than hard-pan can be obtained 
for this purpose—at least a mixture of gravel or small 
stones through the earth, is desirable. With these pre¬ 
cautions, we should have no trouble even in swales for 
the posts even there would stand in dry, firm, solid 
earth. D. T. 
Cayuga county, Ylmo. 20., 1845. 
BREEDING- AND REARING STOCK- 
In the breeding and rearing of domestic animals, 
there can be no doubt that the application of physiological 
principles would be productive of advantage. The 
more perfectly the farmer understands the habits, or¬ 
ganization, and functions of his animals, with the more 
certainty can he produce from them any specific results— 
the better will he know how to keep his stock in health 
or to cure the diseases with which they may be attack¬ 
ed—and by becoming familiar with the plilosophy of 
the hereditary transmission of qualities, he will learn 
how to improve his flocks and herds so that they shall 
possess the characteristics which will best fit them for 
their destined uses. 
A late number of the Journal of the Royal Agricultu¬ 
ral Society, contains a “ Prize Essay on Fat and Mus¬ 
cle, ” by W. F. Karkeek:, veterinary surgeon, &c., in 
which are some excellent observations, particularly ap¬ 
plicable to the breeding and rearing of neat cattle. In 
relation to the improvement of the fattening tenden¬ 
cies of the breed, it is remarked that— 
“ By pursuing the system of breeding from fatted ani¬ 
mals or those having a great tendency to fatten, func¬ 
tion must react on organization , and at last those quali¬ 
ties become, not only increased, but fixed in the race. 
By function reacting on organization, is meant—when 
an organ, as the lungs, for instance, becomes diminish¬ 
ed in consequenc-e of not performing its natural func¬ 
tion, and the disposition to accumulate fat is thereby 
produced—the diminished structure is very likely to be 
reproduced in the progeny of an animal so affected; 
hence the reaction; and if the same system be pursued, 
particularly in breeding from the nearest affinities, 
this effect will be more speedily produced. It is in this 
manner that the greatest improvements have been made 
in our native breeds from time to time—in the Short- 
Horns and improved Long-Horns—in the improved 
Herefords and Devons. The history of those breeds 
sufficiently proves this. The dam of Hubback, the sire 
of the [improved] Short-Horned race, became so fat that 
she soon ceased to breed, and her son, having the same 
tendency, was useful as a bull but a very short period. 
This was also the case with Bolingbroke and several of 
Mr. Collings’ best bulls. The two cows of Mr. Tomp¬ 
kins, Mottle and Pigeon, the originators of the improved 
Herefords, were selected in consequence of their extra¬ 
ordinary tendency to become fat; and the whole secret 
of Bakewell, as to the method which he pursued 
to establish the [improved] Long-Horned cattle and 
the New Leicester sheep lay here.” 
<e There is, (continues Mr. K.,) a delicacy of form 
and a refinement of tone which characterize animals 
bred in this manner, and they acquire early maturity; 
their bone and muscle are more quickly developed and 
are soon ripe, because they sooner become old. In a 
wild state and without reference to the wants of man, 
we shoukl consider these qualities as a progress towards 
deterioration; and so they are, since the animals suffer 
by the change-—but man gains an improvement. It 
will be shown however, before we conclude, that by 
carrying this system of breeding too far in many instan¬ 
ces man has also become a very considerable loser.” 
In regard to the external signs or points of early matu¬ 
rity, and a natural tendency to produce fat or muscle, 
the following excellent observations are given:— 
ei The first token which a grazier will make use of, 
for the purpose of ascertaining the feeding properties 
of an rx, is technically the touch —a criterion second to 
stone, inasmuch as a thick, hard, unyielding hide indi¬ 
cates a bad feeder, and an unprofitable animal. A thin, 
papery-feeling hide, covered with thin hair indicates 
the very reverse of the former, as such an animal will 
speedily fatten, but will not carry much muscle; at the 
same time it indicates a delicate constitution. This 
quality is produced in animals by great refinement in 
breeding, and especially by breeding from animals near 
of blood; in doing so we should remember that we are 
deviating from the natural characters, in a point con¬ 
nected with hardiness of constitution. The perfect 
touch in a feeding animal will be found with a thick 
loose skin, floating as it were on a layer of soft fat, yield¬ 
ing to the least pressure, and springing back to the touch 
of the finger like a piece of thick chamois-leather. This 
token indicates hardiness of constitution and a capability 
of carrying plenty of muscle as well as a sufficiency of 
fat. The physiological history of these tokens is as 
follows:—The cutis, or true skin, is that portion of 
the external integuments from which leather is manu¬ 
factured: and is much more dense and elastic in some 
breeds than in others. Its external surface lies in con¬ 
tact with a layer of cellular tissue which intervenes be¬ 
tween it and the muscle. This cellular tissue contains 
a larger or smaller amount of fat cells; and the mellow 
feel which is found in some animals arises from the re¬ 
siliency or springing back of the cellular tissue in 
which the fat is deposited, on being touched. Where 
there is much e mellowness 5 in a lean animal, it arises 
from the free circulation of the blood-vessels through 
the mesh-work; and where there is a hard feel, it arises 
from the cellular membrane participating in the hard¬ 
ness of the hide, and therefore being less capable of 
dilitation by the interstitial deposit. 
“ Smallness of hone is another indication of early ma¬ 
turity, since it must be evident that a breed of animals 
that will attain their full size of boae at an early «ge, 
will be a much more profitable breed to the grazier 
than one of slower growth. 
“ The size of the head of an ox affords another indi¬ 
cation of a capacity to carry fat in an eminent degree. 
When the head of the bull approaches to the narrow 
elongated form of the female, he will be extremely do¬ 
cile, but he will have lost much of- his masculine cha¬ 
racter, and his stock will not carry much muscle. 
“ The ears should be thin—coarse ears being a cer¬ 
tain sign of a coarse breed. 
“ The horns should be fine—a coarse and thick horn 
being an indication of an ill-bred animal. Wherever 
there is a tendency in a breed to thick and coarse hides, 
the horns are generally formed coarse and thick also. 
“ A thin neck is another indication of a delicate breed, 
either in bulls or rams; a thick neck, on the contrary, 
indicating large muscles and a good constitution. Pro¬ 
portion is another sign or token by which to judge of 
the disposition of animals to carry a fair proportion of 
muscle. There should always be a proportionate union 
of length, depth, and thickness; no matter what the 
weight or size of the animal may be, these properties 
are indispensable, if the breeder's object is to obtain the 
greatest weight of meat on the most valuable points. 
“The immense difference in the size of the different 
breeds of cattle or horses is beyond our control. Al¬ 
though man has produced wonders even in this respect. 
Generally speaking they assume a certain character, de¬ 
pendent on the food which they obtain—for where 
food is abundant they are found of a large size; and 
where deficient, they are found of a diminutive breed. 
But this truth holds good only as regards the different 
races and not the individuals, for were we to breed the 
Shetland pony on the best Lincoln pastures, it would 
take many hundred successive generations before his 
race would approximate to the size of the breeds that 
are natural to this district.” 
In the rearing department, Mr. Karkeek thinks “there 
is a great deal of mismanagement, even among our best 
breeders.” He alludes to the practice of rearing ani¬ 
mals, bulls particularly, without exercise, confined to 
narrow limits and fed on stimulating food—a practice 
which he deprecates, as tending to weaken the consti¬ 
tution and muscular vigor of the race,---although it is 
admitted that it may promote the secretion of fat, and in- 
