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304 
both of whom endeavored to rear from her a stock of similar character 
to herself; but no calf of hers ever possessed more than ordinary merit 
in this respect. This need not, however, excite great surprise. She 
was, probably, altogether a chance animal. Nothing was known of her 
origin, as she was bought out of a drove. The result ought not to have 
discouraged further attempts of the same nature. Animals vary much 
in the power of transmitting their own qualities; hence trials should be 
made on an extensive scale. A number of animals which may be 
deemed most likely to produce the stock wanted should be chosen, and 
the trial should be continued through several generations. 
In the Western States cattle are devoted chiefly to beef and the pur¬ 
poses of the dairy. They are less used for labor than on the rougher 
soils of New England. The remarks to be made in this connection will, 
therefore, have more special reference to the adaptation of animals to 
the first named purposes. 
The points which denote a superior fattening tendency in cattle, 
together with constitution and a due degree of activity, are the follow¬ 
ing : the head small, wide across the eyes, tapering neatly to the muzzle, 
which should be rather small, with an open, spreading nostril; the eye 
full, lively, but mild in expression ; the horns rather slender, and long 
or short according to the breed ; the ears rather thin ; the neck small 
at its junction with the head, clean at the throat, gradually enlarging to 
the body, and fitting to the shoulders without any depression at the top; 
the chest broad, deep, and capacious ; the shoulders lying close at the 
top, slanting backwards, not protuberant of bone at the point, or upper- 
» 
most joint, but the bone well overlaid with muscles ; the crops full; the 
back straight from the shoulder to the setting on of the tail; the loin 
wide ; the hips wdde apart, large, and on a level with the back ; the 
rump long from the hips backward; the twist full; the carcass cylindri¬ 
cal, from the circular spread of the ribs and the nearly parallel line of 
the belly with the back; the flanks full; the tail set nearly level with 
the rump bones, broad at its junction with the body, tapering finely 
downwards; the legs short, standing square and upright, the bone of 
the shank flat, appearing thin when viewed lengthwise of the body, and 
wide when viewed in the opposite direction ; the fore-arm muscular ; th© 
hock wide, the leg above forming with it an. oblique angle; the aki® 
