114 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
plete the line from the shoulders to the buttocks along the projection 
of the outside of the ribs. 
These constitute all the -points which are essential to a fat ox, and 
which it is the business of the judge to know, and by which he must 
anticipate whether the lean one, when fed, would realize. The 
remaining points are more applicable in judging of a lean than a fat 
ox. 
The first of the points in judging of a lean ox, is the nature of the 
bone. A round thick bone indicates both a slow feeder, and an in¬ 
ferior description of flesh. A flat bone, when seen on a side view, 
and narrow, when viewed either from behind or before the animal, 
indicates the opposite properties of a round bone. The whole bones 
in the carcass should bear a small proportion in bulk and weight to 
the flesh, the bone being only required as a support to the flesh. 
The texture of the bone should be small grained and hard. The 
bones of the head should be fine and clean, and only covered with 
skin and muscle, and not with lumps of fat and flesh, which always 
give a heavy-headed dull appearance to an ox. The forearm and hock 
should also be clean and full of muscle, to endure travelling. Large 
joints indicate bad feeders. The neck of an ox should be, contrary 
to that of the sheep, small from the back of the head to the middle 
of the neck. The reason of the difference, in this respect, betwixt 
the ox and the sheep, is, that the state of the neck of the ox has no 
effect on the strength of the spine. 
A lull, clear and prominent eye is another point to be considered ; 
because it is a nice indication of good breeding. It is always atten¬ 
dant on fine bone. The expression of the eye is an excellent index 
of many properties in the ox. A dull heavy eye certainly indicates 
a slow feeder. A rolling eye, showing much white, is expressive 
of a restless capricious disposition, which is incompatible with quiet, 
feeding. A calm, complacent expression of the eye and face is strong¬ 
ly indicative of a sweet and patient disposition, and, of course, kindly 
feeding. The eye is frequently a faithful index of the state of the 
health. A cheerful clear eye accompanies good health ; a constant¬ 
ly dull one proves the probable existence of some internal lingering 
disease. The dulness of the eye, arising from the effect of internal 
disease, is, however, quite different in character from a natural or 
constitutional phlegmatic dulness. 
The state of the skin is the next point to be ascertained. The 
skin affords what is technically and emphatically called the touch ,— 
a criterion second to none in judging of the feeding properties of an 
ox. The touch may be good or bad, fine^or harsh, or, as it is often 
termed, hard or mellow. A thick firm skin, which is generally co¬ 
vered with a thick set, hard, short hair, always touches hard, and in¬ 
dicates a bad feeder. A thin, meagre, papery skin, covered with 
thin silky hair, being the opposite of the one just described, does not, 
however, afford a good touch. Such a skin is indicative of weak¬ 
ness of constitution, though of good feeding properties. A perfect 
touch will be found with a thick, loose skin, floating as it were, on a 
layer of soft fat, yielding to the least pressure, and springing back 
towards the fingers like a piece of soft, thick, chamois leather, and 
covered with thick, glossy, soft hair. Such a collection of hair looks 
rich and beautiful, and seems warm and comfortable to the animal. 
It is not unlike a bed of fine soft moss, and hence such a skin is fre¬ 
quently styled “ mossy.” The sensation derived from feeling a fine 
touch is pleasurable, and even delightful, to an amateur of breeding. 
You cannot help liking the animal that possesses a fine touch. Along 
with it is generally associated a fine symmetrical form. A know¬ 
ledge of touch can only be acquired by long practice ; but after hav¬ 
ing acquired it, it is of itself a sufficient means of judging of the 
feeding quality of the ox ; because, when present, the properties of 
symmetrical form, fine bone, sweet disposition, and purity of blood, 
are the general accompaniments. 
These are the essential points of judging lean cattle; but there 
are other and important considerations which must claim the atten¬ 
tion of the judge, in forming a thorough judgment of the ox. 
The proportion which the extremities bear to the body, and to one 
another, is one of these considerations. The head of the ox should 
be small, and set on the neck as if it appeared to be easily carried 
by the animal. This consideration is of great importance in show¬ 
ing cattle to advantage in the market. The face should he long 
from the eyes to the point of the nose. No face can be handsome 
without this feature. The skull should he broad across the eyes, 
and only contract a little above them, but should taper considerably 
below them to the nose. The muzzle should be fine and small, and 
the nostrils capacious. The crown of the head should be flat and 
strong, and the horns should protrude horizontally from both sides of 
it, though the direction of the growth from the middle to the tip va- 
ries in the different breeds. The ears should be large, stand a little 
erect, and, so thin as to reflect the bright sun-light through them. 
The neck should be light, tapering from the front of the shoulder and 
neck-vein, with a gradual rise from top of the shoulder to the head. 
The length of the neck should be in proportion to the other part of 
the animal; but this is a non-essential point, though I would prefer 
an apparently short neck to a long one, because it is generally well 
covered with the neck-vein. A droop of the neck, from the top of 
the shoulder to the head, indicates a weakness of constitution, aris¬ 
ing frequently from breeding too near akin. The legs below the 
knee should be rather short than long, and clean made. They 
should be placed where they apparently bear the weight of the body 
most easily, and they should stand wide asunder. The tail should 
be rather thick than oiherwise, a thickness indicates a strong spine 
and a good weigher. It should be provided with a large tuft of long 
hair. 
The position of the Jlesh on the carcass is another great conside¬ 
ration in judging of the ox, the flesh on the different parts of the ox 
being of various qualities. That part called the spare-rib in Edin¬ 
burgh, and the fore and middle ribs in London, the loins, and the 
rump or hookbone, are of the finest quality, and are generally used 
for roasts and steaks. Consequently the ox which carries the larg¬ 
est quantity of beef on these points is the most valuable. Flesh of 
fine quality is actually of a finer texture in the fibre than coarse flesh. 
It also contains fat in the tissue between the fibres. This arrange¬ 
ment of the fat and lean gives a richness and delicacy to the flesh. 
The other parts, though not all of the same quality, are used forsak¬ 
ing and making soups, and do not fetch so high a price as the part 
just described. 
A full twist lining the division between the hams, called the “clos¬ 
ing,” with a thick layer of fat, a thick flank, and a full neck-vein, are 
generally indicative of tallow in the interior of the carcass; but it 
frequently happens, that all these symptoms of laying on internal fat 
fail. The disposition to lay on internal fat altogether depends on the 
nature of the individual constitution ; for, it is often observed, that 
thosp individuals which exhibit great kittening points on the exterior, 
do not fill with internal fat so well as others which want these points. 
On the contrary, thin made oxen, with flat ribs, and large bellies, 
very frequently produce large quantities of internal fat. 
The first part which shows the fat in a feeding ox, is the point or 
top of the rump, which in high-bred animals, is a prominent point; 
sometimes it protrudes too much, as the mass of fat laid on these is 
out of proportion to the lean, and therefore useless to the consumer. 
This is the part which frequently misleads young or inexperienced 
judges in the true fatness of the ox, because fat may be felt on this 
part, when it is very deficient on most of the other points. 
The parts on the other hand, which are generally the last in be¬ 
ing covered with flesh, are the point of the shoulder-joint, and the 
top of the shoulder. If these parts are, therefore, felt to be well 
covered the other and better parts of the animal may be considered 
ripe. Ripeness of condition, however, can only be rightly ascertain¬ 
ed by handling, for there is a great difference between the apparent 
and real fatness of an ox. The flesh of an apparently fat ox to the 
eye, may, on being handled by a judge, feel loose and flabby; but a 
truly fat ox always feels “hard fat.” With such the butcher is 
seldom deceived, while loose handlers give no assurance of killing 
well. 
It is proper in judging of the weight of a fat ox, to view his gait 
while walking towards you, which will, if the ox has been well fed, 
be accompanied with a heavy rolling tread on the ground. In this 
way a judge can at once come very near to its weight. 
The application of all these rules and considerations to the judging 
of lean stock constitutes the chief difficulty to the judge. An ox, in 
high condition, in so far as its condition alone is under consideration, 
can be judged of, as we have seen, by any one ; and sometimes the 
fatness may be so great as obviously to deform the symmetry to any 
observer. The superiority of a judge to others, in these cases, con¬ 
sists in estimating the weight, observing the purity of the blood, and 
valuing the points of the animal. But in judging of a lean ox, its 
future condition and symmetry must be foreseen. The rules which 
[ have attempted to describe, will, if studied practically, enable an 
inquiring observer to foresee these points; and in judging between 
a number of valuable points, it should be remembered, that purity 
