GALLOWAY CATTLE. It is more than. probable that representatives of this hornless race of cattle were early brought to America by the English and Seoteh settlers since, as a boy. we often found this blood cropping out in what were then termed Muley cows, and, as a rule, they were better than average milkers, and generally brown or blaek. About the year 1860. Galloways were imported into Canada, wbere they were carefully bred, and from whence they have been disseminated through the West, herds of them being not now uneommon at our yearly State Fairs, being much liked in the colder districts of eountry for their docility, hardiness and feeding qualities. The Galloway eonstitutes one of the most important breeds in Seotland, and made its appearance in the Lowlands within the last bundred years. Up to that time the cattle of the eountry were chiefly horned, like the rest of the Highland Scots. Since then the polled beasts, of which there were some even then, have gradually supplanted the horned breed, being much preferred by the English graziers as being more docile and kindly feeders. About the time of the general revival in agricul ture, Lord Selkirk had his attention drawn toward the irnprovement of the stock of his own county, and he began his experiments upon the polled breed, and by selection and care raised it to the most prominent position among the Scotch cattle, Since his day many good breeders have continued the work, and brought them to the high state of perfection in which we now find them Youatt thus describes the Galloway of his day and date: They are straight and broad in the back, and nearly level from the head to the rump. They are round in the ribs, and also between the shoulders and the ribs, and the ribs and the loin. They are broad in the loin, without large pro jeeting (hip) bones. In roundness of barrel and fulness of rib they will compare with any breed, and also in the proportion which the loins bcar to the hook bones or protuberances of the ribs. The Rev. Mr. Smith, the author of the Survey of Galloway, says that when viewed from above the whole body appears beautifully rounded, like the longitudinal section of a roller. They are long in the quarters and ribs, and deep in the chest, but not hroad in the twist. The slightest inspection will show that there is less space between the hip bones and the ribs than in rnost other breeds, a consideration of much importance, for the advantage of length of car cass consists in the animal being well ribbed home, or as little span as possible lost in the flank. The Galloway is short in the leg and moderately fine in the shank bones; the happy medium seems to be preserved in the leg, which secures hardihood and a disposition to fatten. With the same cleanness and shortness of shank there is no breed so muscular above the knee, while there is more room for the deep, broad, capacious chest. He is clean, not fine and slen der, hut well-proportioned in the neck and chops; a thin and delicate neck would not correspond with the broad shoulders, deep chest, and close, compact form of the breed. The neck of the Galloway bull is thick almost to a fault. The head is rather heavy, the eyes are not prominent, and the ears are large, rough, and full of long hairs on the inside. The Galloway is covered with a loose, mellow skin of medium thickness, and which is clothed with long, soft, silky hair. The skin is thinner than that of the Leicester shire, but not so line as the hide of the improved Durham breed; but it handles soft and kindly. Even on the moorland farms, where the cattle, during the greater part of the year, are fed on the scantiest fare, it is remarkable how little their hides indicate the privations they endure. The prevailing and fashionable color is black; a few are of a dark brindled brown, and still fewer speckled with white spots, and some of them are of a dun or drab color,perhaps acquired from a cross with the Suffolk cattle. Dark colors are uniformly preferred, from the belief that they indicate hardiness of constitution. The Gallo way is essentially the grazier's beast, being little fitted for the dairy, though the milk is rich.
Great numbers of heifers are spayed, and then make superior fat animals. The calves are allowed to suck their dams for some time, until they begin to eat, when they are gradually weaned by allowing them to suck but two teats, while the other two are being milked. When the milk is finally discontinued they are turned onto fresh grass. They are well kept the first winter, the Galloway farmer believing that if once checked at that age in their growth they rarely attain the size or feed as well afterwards. But after the first season they are left to rough it, being rarely housed and only fed, during the winter, a little hay or straw in the fields, picking up the rest of their food from the remains left from the summer's grass. As may be inferred from this treatment, these animals are very hardy, and at the same time quiet and docile, entirely differing from the vicious, restless little Highlanders, their forefathers. They do not arrive very early at maturity, but at three and three and a half years old will weigh from six to eight hundred pounds, and when older they can be fed up to fourteen hundred without difficulty. The spayed heifers are rather smaller than the bullocks, but they are fit to turn off at an earlier age and their meat is considered more delicate. They are usually spayed when calves, and the operation is no more difficult or dangerous than that of castration. At the Smithfield fat-cattle show, in 1861, a black Galloway cow was shown by -Mr. McCombie, of such remarkable merit that some of the critics went so far as to say she should have won the gold medal for the best fat cow of any breed, instead of the short-horn cow to which it was awarded. We copy the remarks of the Mark Lane Eapress about this animal: Here we have unquestionably the best Scot that has put in an appearance for many a yeas, per haps the best that was ever seen. Not only is her form so perfect—back, rib, shoulder point, breast end, loin, hip, flank, and rump—but her thigh and twist are wonderful, the rounds of beef full and heavy to the very hocks; her head is beautiful, exactly characteristic of the breed ; her coat just what it should be, and she handles like what she is, a magnificent feeder, of a quality worth something to the butcher, and calculated to make the appreciative epicure smack his lips. In proportion to her symmetrical figure else where, her girth forms her weak point; but even this is eight feet nine inches at four years and ten months old. Such commendation as this, among so many superbly fatted animals as are annually collected at the Smithfield show,speaks volumes for the feeding qualities of the Gallo way. It is a curious fact that so thoroughly indigenous and acclimated is this breed to their native county, that all crosses of them with improved breeds, have been inferior to the pure race; even the short-horns have failed here to communicate the improvement they have been proverbial for doing in almost all other instances, and the Galloway breeder now wisely confines his attention to the iraprovement by selection and care of his own native breed. We are inclined to think, from the uncommon hardiness and vigorous constitution of this breed, together with their property of laying the fat on the most valuable parts, and the superior quality of their beef, that there are portions of our country where they would be ir ore profitably bred than some of the larger races of cattle. There are large tracts, of greater or less extent, along the whole range of the Alleghanies, as well as in the northern portions of New York and the New England States, which might be occupied with advantage by some hardy breed of cattle,adapted to the climate and region, whose product of beef would be remunerative, and whose constitu tional vigor would enable them to live and thrive in those localities. We think were the Galloways introduced into such situations they would be found admirably suited to them, and would soon acquire the reputation and value in our markets that their well recognized quality of raeat gives them in England.