Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-05-14
NI1B RABMa
From an English Work, by A. Walker.
TITLE

From an English Work. by A. Walker.
CA TILE.
The lest Cattle have the face short--thc
muzzlc smal--thc horns Gnc--the neck
light, particularly where it Joins the head
the chest wide, deep and ca pacious-thc tail
broad and flat towards the top, but thin to-
wards the lower part, which it will always
be, when the animal is small boned--thc
lower part Of the thigh is small-the legs
short, straight, clean and fine boned, though |
not so fine as to indicate delicacy of cons,i-
tution-lc flesh rich and mellow to the feet
the skin of a rich and silky appearance-the
countenancc calm and placid, denoting the
cvenness of temper, essential to quick feed
ing. and disposition to get fat.
Every breed of ANIMALS which has, thro'
few generations, 1.-TWO or three is sufficiently
been over-fed, requires similar feeding
and the offspring of such animals require and
can digest more food than others, who have
lived upon little.
All growing animals, including mankind,
ought 10 be wcll-lcd to preserve health and
strength, but never to be stimulated by en-
cess of food The children of parents,
however, who have, through many genera
tons, been well fed, would perish if given
no more food than would be sufficient for an
Irish or Highland Scots peasants child
The chief qualities sought for in cattle,
are the tendency to fattcn on little food, and
that to yield abundance of rich milk. The
tendency to fattcn is indicated chiefly by the
capacity of the chest. Animals of all spc-
cics, says Mr.. Knight, all other qualities
being equal, are, | think capable of lal or
and privation, and capable of fattcning, NEAR
y in proportion as their chests are cfiica-
cious; but the habits of ancestors will OPP
craze very powerfully.
1t is the width and depth of frame, says
Mr. Berry which coniers weight and not the
mere circumstance of great height While
equally great if not greater weights, can be
obtained with slorcr-lcgged animals, they
are independently of other recommendations
generally found to possess better constitutions
and greater propensity to fatten.
MIR. Knight says, the constitutional dispo-
sition TO form fat, is certainly hostile to the
disposition to give milk. Cows which give
little milk often present large uddcrs winch
contain much solid matter; and to incxpe-
rnccd eyes, "A two-ycar old Hereford COW
very little would be given. A narrow fore
head and Il long face, nearly of the same
width from end to end, as in the Aldcrncy
COW, certainly indicates much more DISPOSE
ton to give milk than the contrary form,
which have pointed out as indicative of "A
disposition to tattcn.
/ Fat animals are more generally those of
the north, where the cold dimnishcs scns-
bllity. Fat indeed, appears to be the means
winch nature very extensively employs to
lower inscnsbility by intcrposilion between
the skin and the central parts of the nervous
system. Fat animals, accordingly, have no,
less scnsibility and irritablity of the skin,
out of the organs Of sense generally. This
ner animals, on the contrary, are more gem
orally those Of the south and have more
acute sensibIlity and exquisite sensation.
In reply to this observation, Mr.. Knight
says, | do not doubt but you are right re-
speeding the use of fat in cold climates all
sleeping animals, through winter, go to sleep
in fatted state. do not think breeds OF
cows, which give much rich milk, are very
hardy. The Aldcrncy cows are what the
lIerciordshire farmer calls very MESH, that is
very incapable of bearing hardship of any
kind, and particularly cold, consequently OF
greater scnslbilty.
Cows which give much milk have the
power of eating aud digcsling much food,
and they require, whilst they give much milk
IA very abundant and good pasture. The
breeds of Cows which give less milk, and
present greater disposition to become fat ARE
generally less MESH, and will inttcn upon
| oil l,n inN, 6 Al, Go
considerable. have observed that wlencv-
or Young Hereford COW disIikcd being mil
ked by the dairy-maid, she soon ceased to
give milk and do not doubt that in all ca
ses, if the calves were twice every day per-
mittcd TO suck after the dairy-maid had fin
shed her labor, the cows would longer con-
tinue to give milk, and in large quantity.
This tends to corroborates what has been
said as to greater scnsibility being favorable
to milking.
If this led only to distinction of those two
, kinds as to milking, name y-that of fairness,
and thinncss, and that Of smaller and larger
organs of sense, and greater or less SENSIBLE
ity, it would be still valuable, as showing
f either at IA later or an earlier period, what we
, may expect in this important particular
But perhaps its utility may extend still fur
thcr, and enable us to improve the race.
1t may form "A basis for our determining
f whether in cndeavoring to improve breed
tattcners may most easily also become milk
crs, to some extent or mixers may, to a
r similar extent, become iallenors ; and wha,
/ are the circumstances which would most IA
, vor such partial interchange, if not absolute
: improvement Indeed, from these princi-
, pies would conclude, that an animal fatten-
ing in the north, where general temperature
, would render fat less necessary would in
crease sensibi'ty and would cherish the Sc
crcton of milk so intimately connected
r with the excitement of the Reproductive
functions which warmer climates produce.
As these two desirable qualities are boil
$ dependant upon one system, and as they
, are opposed to each other, (for excess ofone
secretion is always more or less at the cos
Y of the o,hor,) they will be most easily OBJ
tanned by being distinctly sought for and the
n animal of diminished sensibilty will mos