220 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
July. 
m 
Points of Excellence in Cattle. 
Adopted, by the N. Y. S. Ag. Society , for the guidance of the 
Judges at their Annual Fairs. 
North Devons. 
Purity of blood, as traced back satisfactorily to impor¬ 
tations of both, dam and sire, from known English 
breeders, or as found in the lately established Herd 
Boak, for North Devons, and without this, an animal 
cannot compete in this class. 
The Head should be small, lean and bony, the fore¬ 
head wide, flat, or from a fullness of the frontal bone 
over the eyes, somewhat dishing; v the face straight; 
the muzzle fine; the nostrils open; the lips thin ancl 
rfither flat,. 4 
The Nose of a light, delicate orange color,. 4 
The Eye should be bright, prominent, and clear, 
but mild and gentle in its expression, as indica¬ 
tive of that spirited, but tractable disposition so 
necessary to cattle that must bear the yoke; a 
beautiful orange-colored ring should invariably 
surround the eye,. 4 
The Ear— thin; of a rich orange-color within, of 
medium size, with a quick and ready move¬ 
ment, expressive of attention,. 2 
The Horns— light,-tapering, of a waxy color to¬ 
ward the extremity, and gaily as well as symme¬ 
trically placed on the head; the occipital bone 
narrow, thus bringing the base of the horns near¬ 
er together,. 2 
The Neck of medium length, somewhat light in 
substance, very clean, and well set up on the 
shoulder, . 2 
The Chest— deep, and round, carrying its full¬ 
ness well back of the elbows, thus affording, by 
the aid of a springing rib', abundant internal room 
for the action of the thoracic viscera, the heart 
and lungs, and that too without an extreme 
width forward, and between the points of the 
shoulders, which might interfere with the action 
of the animal,. 14 
The Brisket—I t being assumed that it adds noth¬ 
ing to the internal capacity of the chest, must 
not overload the breast, but be sufficiently deve¬ 
loped to guarantee a feeding property, attended 
with a full proportion of fatty secretion,. 4 
The Shoulder is, in this breed, a very beautiful 
and important point, and should in a degree ap¬ 
proximate in form to that of the horse. It should 
take a more sloping position than is found in 
most other breeds, with it? points less projecting, 
and angular, and the blade bone more curved, 
thus blending with and forming a fine wither, 
rising a little above the level line of the back,. 4 
The Crops full and even, forming a true line with 
the somewhat rising shoulder, and level back, 
without either drop or hollow, .... 3 
Back, loin'and hips, broad and wide, running on a 
level with the setting on of the tail,. 9 
The Bumps— flying broad apart, high, and well 
covered,. 5 
Tmp Pelvis— wide,. 2 
The Twist— full and broad,. 3 
The Quarters long and thoroughly filled up be¬ 
tween the hooks or hip bones, and the rumps; 
with a good muscular development down the 
the thigh to the hocks, . 6 
The Flank— moderately deep, full and mellow in 
proportion to condition,. 3 
The Legs not too short, and standing as square and 
straight behind, as may be compatible with acti¬ 
vity. The bone quite small below the hock and 
knee; the sinews large and clean, with the fore¬ 
arm well developed,... 5 
The Carcass round and straight; its posterior 
ribs almost circular, extending well back, and 
springing nearly horizontally from the vertebra, 
giving in fact much greater capacity than would 
at first appear,. 2 
The Tail at its junction level with the back, long, 
very slender in its cord, and finishing with a tas¬ 
sel of white hair,. 1 
The Color, in its shades and degrees , is more or 
less governed by fashion; but in the Devon is 
always red. Formerly the rich blood-red was the 
favorite color, and the test of purity; and now a 
somewhat lighter color is in vogue, approaching 
rather nearer to that of the South Devon, which 
is a larger, coarser, stronger animal. In all cases 
the color grows lighter round the muzzle, while 
a dai-k mahogany color, verging almost to a 
black, and growing yet darker about the head, 
always was a very questionable color for a true 
North Devon , more especially when accompani¬ 
ed by a dark nose,. 1 
The Hair should be short, thick, and fine; and if 
showing on its surface a fine curl, or ripple, it 
looks richer in color, and is supposed to indicate a 
hardier and more thrifty animal,. 1 
The Udder should be such as will afford the best 
promise of capacity and product,. 1 
Carriage —The Devons having, from their excel¬ 
lence in the yoke, another destiny besides that of 
the butcher's block, it is all important that the 
animal's carriage should indicate as much; but to 
obtain this, something of the heavy, inert, 
squarely moulded frame of the merely beef¬ 
ing animal, must be relinquished for a lighter and 
more active frame,. 3 
Quality —On this the thriftiness, the feeding pro¬ 
perties, and the value of the animal depends; 
and upon the touch of this quality rests, in a 
good measure, the grazier's and the butcher's 
judgment. If the “ touch” be good, some defi¬ 
ciency of form may be excused; but if it be hard 
and stiff, nothing can compensate for so unprom¬ 
ising a feature. In raising the skin from the 
body, between the thumb and finger, it should 
have a soft, flexible, and substantial feel, and 
when beneath the out-stretched hand, it should 
move easily with it, and under it, as though 
resting on a soft, elastic, cellular substance; 
which, however, becomes firmer as the animal 
“ ripens.” A thin, papery skin is objectionable, 
more especially in a cold climate,. 15 
100 
Points of the Devon Bull. 
As regards the male animal, it is only necessary to re¬ 
mark, that the points desirable in the female are‘ge¬ 
nerally so in the male, but must, of course, be atten¬ 
ded by that masculine Character which is inseparable 
from a strong and vigorous constitution. Even a cer¬ 
tain degree of coarseness is admissible, but then it 
must be so exclusively of a masculine description, as 
never to be discovered in the females of his get. 
In contra-distinction to the cow, the head of the bull, 
may be shorter, the frontal-bone broader, and the oc¬ 
cipital flat and stronger, that it may receive and sus¬ 
tain the horn—and this latter may be excused if a 
little heavy at the base, so its upward fcrm, its qua¬ 
lity and color be right. Neither is the looseness of 
the skin, attached to, and depending from the under 
jaw, to be deemed other than a feature of the sex, 
provided it is not extended beyond the bone, but 
leaves the gullet and throat clean and free from dew¬ 
lap. 
The upper portion of the neck should be full and mus¬ 
cular , for it is an indication of strength, power, and 
constitution. The spine should be strong, the bone3 
of the loin long and broad, and the whole muscular 
system wide and thoroughly developed over the en¬ 
tire frame. 
