The thorough-bred Devon is a beautiful creature, of medium size, but of such nicely-balanced proportions that he usually weighs more than an eye accustomed only to our native animals would suspect. The color is commonly a deep mahogany red, with usually a white tip to the tail, a white stripe along the belly, and white about the udder of the cows. Within a few years importations of Devons have been made whose color varies from the long-established type in being a light red. This novel color at first gave rise to questions as to the purity of their blood; but this is now, we believe, admitted. Much as we regret this innovation in point of color, we consent to it the more readily since among these light reds are animals of unsurpassed excellence, and bred by the best Devon breeders in England. The head of the Devon is small, with a forehead broad and somewhat concave or dishing; muzzle fine; nose of an orange hue; and a ring of the same color is around the eye. The horns are clear and waxy-smooth, of a yellowish-white color, and elegantly turned upwards. In form the Devon is compact and symmetrical. His limbs are light, but with bone enough for activity and strength. The skin is of a clear orange color, covered with an abundance of soft, thick hair. As a breed they are good feeders, and produce beef finely marbled and very delicate. They are not deep milkers; but they yield well, and their milk is of excellent quality. It is as the best breed to produce working cattle that the Devon is chiefly remarkable. No other breed so uniformly gives such active, docile, light yet strong and hardy-working oxen; and their resemblance to one another makes it easy to match them. No one who has seen a team of well-bred Devon oxen can fail to appreciate its elegance. Private enterprise and the liberality of the Massachusetts Agricultural Society have introduced good Devons into this State; and here, in Bristol county, we have Devon bulls well worthy of the attention of all who desire to introduce this valuable blood into their yards.* * We are not, we think, going beyond propriety in pointing out the bulls of Mr. Allen, of Attleborough, Colonel Page, of New Bedford, and Mr. Knight Day, We now turn to the noble "short-horns,"-or Durhams, as they were formerly called,-a race that has received more attention from eminent breeders than any other, and has probably produced more distinguished animals than all others together. No animals command such enormous prices as are constantly paid for short-horns, and no breed has greater merit. Though not so old as the Devons, the short-horns are a breed of greater antiquity than is generally supposed, and were of great excellence a century before Colling, in 1784, commenced those experiments that resulted in the marked improvement of the breed, and made for himself a proud name in the annals of English agriculture. The work of Colling has been going on and continued to the present day, and at this moment occupies the attention of the most scientific and experienced breeders on both sides of the Atlantic. As proofs of the antiquity of the short-horns, we may adduce not only reliable documentary and traditionary evidence, but we may appeal to the almost unerring certainty with which a short-horn marks his descendants with the characteristics of his race. This certainty is only to be found in individuals of long-established breed. The short-horns are a showy family; and a well-bred specimen cannot fail to please the most fastidious taste. Their elegance and varied colors may perhaps partially account for their favor in the eyes of wealthy fanciers; but it is owing more to their intrinsic excellence that they are so eagerly sought for and command such enormous prices. Gentlemen of wealth alone can afford to purchase and import the finest animals; but few, even of such as can afford it, would lavish such sums as have within the past three years been paid for short-horns, but for their faith that the value of the animals warrants the outlay.* of Mansfield. The committee anticipated pleasure in examining a thorough-bred Devon bull, from the Webster stock, entered by Messrs. Lawton and Wilbar, of Somerset; but owing to the non-arrival of the Fall River cars on the morning of the exhibition, he, as well as other fine animals, did not appear upon the ground. The bull is represented as an uncommonly fine specimen of the breed. * Mr. Jonathan Thorne, of Dutchess County, in 1851, expended more than sixteen The short-horns are of every color between a rich creamywhite and a deep red. Commonly, however, they bear the two colors pied or blended into every imaginable shade of roan. Other colors than red or white, simple or in one of these combinations, are marks of impurity of blood. No black or brown hair is to be found on a well-bred short-horn. The horns of this breed are short and thick, of light color, clear and waxy. They are not delicate and graceful, like the horns of the Devon, but rather clumsy, turning towards one another, and often drooping low. The neck is delicate and clean; brisket large; chest wide and deep; back straight and broad; form well spread and symmetrical, capable of sustaining great weight of carcass. The skin is mellow and covered with soft hair. As handlers they are preeminently fine. The short-horn matures very carly, and attains great size. The beef is of fine quality, and they tallow largely. The weights attained by animals of this breed are enormous. A three-year-old heifer, fed on grass and hay alone, weighed one thousand two hundred and fifty pounds. A calf seven months old weighed four hundred and seventy-six pounds. A four-yearold steer, fed on hay and turnips, dressed one thousand eight hundred and ninety pounds; and we constantly see recorded weights of short-horns not less astonishing.* The short-horns are as a breed remarkable for their milking properties, though some families surpass others in this respect. That all do not milk equally well is probably owing to the va riety of systems observed by breeders. A herd in which milk is only desired as food for calves is not unlikely to fall off in thousand dollars for eight short-horns, paying one thousand guineas in England for the bull Grand Duke, and prices in proportion for other animals. Mr. Thorne is a gentleman of large fortune, and doubtless finds a gratification in the possession of the finest animals in the world; but even he would hardly have made such an outlay had he not been convinced that the value of the animals would warrant the investment. Mr. Thorne may not himself realize great profits from this operation, but the benefits which the country will derive from his enterprise are incalculable. The descendants of his short-horns will be spread far and wide, and long be regarded as a monument to the liberality and public spirit of an enlightened American gentleman. The young bull shown by Mr. Alden at our recent exhibition was fifteen months old, and weighed one thousand three hundred and twenty pounds. |