Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1836-03-15

| mtSnt observe iti' .l' WV
outline of its figure, for that might strike
the most casual observer. He mightbc even
del;ebted with the gentle and compliment
eypression of its contcnancc. All these
properties he might Judge of by the eye
alone. Ontouching the animal with the
hand, he would feel the soitness ofits body
occasoncd by the f;ltncsS of the tlesh.-
But no man, not Il Judge, could rightly cri-
ticise the properties of the OK farther. He
could not possibly discover, without tuition,
those properties which had chiefly con-
duccd to produce the high condition IN
which he s;,w the OK. He would hardly
believe that a Judge can ascertain. merely
by the eye, from its general aspect, whether
the OK We're in good or bad health; from
the color otits skin, whether it were OF
pure or cross breed from the expression of
| its cp,sntenancc, whether it were IL quiet tcc.
| der; and from the nature otits flesh, whcth-
or it had arrived at maturity or no. The
discoveries made by the hand OF Judge
might even Staggcr his belief.
He could scarcely conceive that the
hand can feel a hidden property, the touch,
which of all tests is the most surely indlca-
tive Of fine quality Of flesh, and of dsposl.
ton to fattcn. 1t can feel whether that flesh
is of the most valuable kind and it can fore
tell the probable abundance of fat in the in.
terior of the carcass. In short, a Judge
alone can discriminate between the relative
values of the different points, or appreciate
tie aggregate values Of all the points of an
OK. The rans of an OK by which it is
Judged are called points.
We have thus seen that u person even to-
tally ignorant Of cattle, may Judge of some
of the most apparent properties or points OF
tat OK; but were lean OK placed before
him, he would be quite at loss what opln-
ion to pass on its present, and far more on
its future condition. The outline of its fig
urc would appear to him rugged and angu-
lar. and consequently coarse. To him the
body would feel number of hard bones,
covered with :ough skin and coarse hair.
\ Judge, on the other hand, can at once dis
cover the good OF the bad points of Il lean
as well as of u fat OK !; because the proper
ties of the former arc the same in kind,
though no. i'll degree, us those of the latter;
and. in accordance with the qualities of
these points. he can anticipate the future
condition of the lean OK, save and except
ing the effects of accidents and disease
But. it may be asked, if Il Judge of cattle is
Il character so easily attained as is here re-
presented, how is it that the opinion of a
Judge is always held in Difference and is al
wars referred to in cases of difference of
opinion.
This question admits of u very sntisf.c,
tory answer. Errors i'll the Judging Of
cattle arise not so frequently from not know
ing the points to be judged of, as from judy
es allowing one or more OF their iarorIte
points the power Of too great an influence
over the future increasing condition OF the
OK; and as long as there are SO many
points to be considered, and as most Of
them may be partially altered by local cir
cumstanccs, a difference of opinion may
exist among Judges of lean stock.
Now, what arc those points of an OK.
thorough knowledge Of which is so essen.
tial to constitute Il perfect Judge! Could
thcv be described and Illustrated with such
precision, as that they may be applied at
once to every OK, il whatever condition it
NAV be, q great advancement would be
made towards establishing fixed rules for the
right Judging of all the domestic animals.
Fortunately for the suppression Of human
dogmatsm on this subject, Nature herself
has furnished rules for asccrtaining points
for Judgment, which can only be discover
ed by long and constant practice. Never
thclcss, | shall cndcavor to describe them
plainly, and after pcrusng the description,
hope my readers will perceive that they arc
established laws of nature: and therefore
uncrring and applicable to every species Of
cattle. Like other phenomena of nature.
Il knowledge Of them can be acquired by
observation. This knowledge is the most
difficult which a farmer has to acquire, mas
much as the management Of live stock Is
much more difficult branch Of husbandry |
than the cultivation of corn. And although |
the Importance of this knowledge is acknow-
lodged by every experienced farmer, and 4
desire for its requirement is strong " felt by |
every young one, ii is remarkable that very
little is said in proftsscd works on agricul-
ture on those rules which guide us III Judg-
ing Of fat or lean live stock.
The first point to be asccrtaincd in OK
aminlng an OK is the purity of its breed,
whatever that breed may be. The asccr-
tainment Of the purity of the breed will
give the degree Of the disposition to fattcn
in the individual. u that breed. The pu-
eral marks.
The color or colors Of the skin of u pure
breed Of csttlc, whatever those colors are,
are always definite. The color of the bald |