Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1909-06-15
THE HARDY
LITTLE DEVONS.

An Ohio cattleman who complains
that the merits of the Devons are no
brought to the front as they should bt
says of this breed:
Just why more Is not said about
them cannot conceive. The Devon is
no doubt one of the oldest breeds in
the United States. 1t may be that the
Devon breeder Is too modest to write
up the merits of the breed He has an
animal that suits him at the pail and
| the block or as farmers COW suitable
for whatever place she may be called
to fill.
1--WE are aware that there are very
few Devons in the middle west or the
corn belt, and why there should not be
more is a wonder to me, as they are
suited to that section as No. beef
animal The steers mature at as early
an age as those of any other breed,
and when put beside any of the larger
beef animals they are not wanting in
quality or in rapidity of growth While
we admit they do not grow as large as
the noble Shorthorn. Hereford or Fo-
land Angus. still they are large enough
to suit the average farmer, and we
assert that no breed will make more
beef per acre of grass consumed or
bushel Of feed fed than do the Devons.
One of their strong points is that they
are easy to fatten on small quantity
Of feed. and no breed gives finer
quality of beef or a greater per cent
If meat per carcass. The meat is well
narbled and less offal than most beef
)reedS
devon cattle are not merely breed |
produced by careful selection and |
for a number of years. but a
ace of cattle which with most of it's
distinctive features has been known in
treat Britain since the conquest of the
ountry by Julius Caesar nearly 1000
ears ago This race has for the past
90 years been carefully bred and all
are taken to improve 1t which has
larked the improvement of other
reeds of cattle The type produced
Y this course of careful breeding has
ecome fixed and has rendered the
evon wonderfully prepotent in stamp
Il his distinctive features upon his
rogeny and making him of great
alue to cross upon any breed of cat
e. They are very hardy and stand
ot only changes Of climate. but will
We and prosper on short feed and
'anty pastures, yet with good care
i'll show as good If not better results
ian any other breed
professor William Brown of the
griculturaI Experiment station at
uelph, Canada. says of the Devon:
THE remarkable feature of the Devon
th US has been its uniform conduct no
ming and going in anything. but an
en- run of breeding health and good do.
9 under all conditions. Summer and
nter the Devon Is equally at home,
lmp on pasture and in good heart in
E stall without grain They have been ,
rucularly good mothers. nursing their
Ives in a manner superior to anything [
our experience. The Devon calf is al
lys full calf on its milk alone, rolling ,
fat and with all of the build of an old
lmal The particular character of the
aed and the rich milk give these results q
e Devon cow is a mixer rich In quality, q
,derate in quantity while the bull gives
frame to the steer that compares well
tn others for beef carrying.
The above statement of an unprej-
iced and careful observer Is certain
complimentary to the beautiful red
tile and can be corroborated by all
aeders of Devons, They are often :
oxen of as the Little Devon The
cling process may cause some Of the
IRE bulky breeds to outstrip them in
light The bull Barrister weighed :
pounds at eight months old, Felix
weighed 1880 at two years old,
Ike of Namden 2.030 at three years
l. Cows also show good weights. y