River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-09-17
Galloways.
BY D. NJ CRAE.

The old district of Galloway, in the
southwest of Scotland, has given its
name to valuable breed of black,
hOrnless cattle, remarkable for many
good qualities. and especially for "A su.
perior quality of beef, described over
three centuries ago as being ''tender.
very old one-has long had great lixity
of type and is pure breed, not mix
ed or crossed with any other existing
race. Much of the Galloway district
is rough. mountainous land. The up
lands, especially, wild and rocky
moorlands and hills covered with
heath and coarse grasses, formed the
lowly home of the breed Here they
were bred and real ed, with no other
covering than the sky amt no shelter
but the recesses of the deep rocky glen
seldom housed, and, if fed at all, on
ly a bite of coarse hay when the snow
was deep and the winter severe.
They are, therefore, an active, hardy
breed, fitted for outdoor life, for
searching for their grazing grounds
and, from long usage, adapted to feed
on coarse and rough grasses, If no bet
ter can he got. At two and three
years old IL g surplus OF the herds were
gathered together and driven south,
feeding as they went along the old
well known trails to the Norfolk and
Suffolk fairs, 400 miles from Their
home. Here they were bought Ivy the
graZiers Of the south and fattened for
the London market. Fifty years ago
50, 900 was an average drive. The
Galloways are the old ranch cattle OF
Britain, and while the trails have
been fenced and titled, and the drive
become thing of the past, they have
still the qualit es which specially fit
them for a similar life on the ranches
of the American plains. They are
lively, active, spirited, with compact,
chunky forms, strong muscles and
tendons, enabling them to endure long
journeys and travel with ease. In
winter they paw and scrape among the
snow to reach the grasses beneath,
and can stand before the blizzard as
no other breed will. Their moderate.
ly.thick hides and splendid coat of
long hair enables them to endure cold,
wet rains, so trying to man and beast.
lIlC ullh VI viz obllOhd1 llNh
nourishirg. The cows are good, care
full mothers and raise excellent calves.
The young calves are active aad able
to get along and look after themselves.
The GalloWays are now almost all
black-brindled ana belted ones are
now rare. The black is not deep
black, but often has dark mahogany
shade. The hair is long and wavy-
shaggy almost-but should have a soft,
silky feel, and always Il thick, messy
undercOat This is an important point;
in cold, windy weather it helps to re-
tain the warmth, and in wet days
throws off the rain. Head should be
short and wide, with no traces of
horns or scurs; long, slender noses are
not desirable, broad fOreheads and
wide nOstrilS are wanted; eyes large
and prominent; neck rather short,
clean, and filling we'll into the Shout
ders, which should be wide above;
bresst full and deep, plenty of room
for the lungs; flank deep and full: ribs
deep and well sprung, closely ribbed
home; hook-bones just seen but not
prominent; the whole body round like
a barrel, set on short, muscular legs,
with clean, fine bone; the hind legs
straighter than other breeds, and
squarely feshed right down to the
hook; tail well set on and moderately
thick; skin mellow, soft to the touch
and handling well. The whole APP
pearance compact, active, with good,
lively eye and strong muscular devel'
opment., Very large animals are not
desirable. Good medium weights pre-
ferred-they weigh better than they
look-and medium size is most profit
able for the feeder and best for the
butcher. Short-legged animals, with
fine, small bones kill the best; the
beef is very superior; the fat laid
amongst the lean-marbled. They do
not put on outside fat as readily as
some other breeds, hence look not so
we'll in the show yard, but yield at the
block juicy, rich, nOurishing food.
There is no beef in the world that can
beat that of well fed Galloway.
They can be fed to LOGO lbs. at three
years old. The bull [4I0] at six years
weighed 200 lbs. They can be made
ready for the butcher at two years old.
The heifer 1881, CRASHED, at twenty
one months old weighed 935 lbs. The
following measurements of the COW
1871, the smallest and neatest of a
good herd, may be interesting-meas-
urements taken in inches: Extreme
length along back, crown to tail, rs;
girth, behind shoulders, 70; around
center of body, "a; around flank, %;
hight at shoulder, As; brisket to
ground, 16; around shank bone, rs;
around thigh, close to shoulder, 20; I'D
der to ground, Is; between hook bones
%; extreme length of head, 10;
breadth between eye, III; eye to top
of crown, "a; weight, l ,234 lbs.