BEEF CATTLE. The principal breeds of beef cattle in Great Britain and the United States are the Shorthorn, Hereford, Galloway, Devon, and Aberdeen-Angus. These breeds all originated in Great Britain, and for the most part took their names from the county or district whence they came. Alvord says: "The cattle which have been most famous as a breed in England and America, which have received the longest and closest attention of breeders and improvers, which have commanded prices, singly and in herds, far above all others, and which have made the greatest impression upon the live stock of both countries during the Nineteenth Century, are the Shorthorns or Durhams." The name Shorthorns was probably given to distinguish them from the rival race of Blackwell's Long horns. which they soon surpassed. They are red and white cattle, the colors being variously blended and often roan, rectangular in outline and haying horns of moderate length. They are notable for early maturity, beauty of form, quick fattening qualities, and Minimum amount of waste in slaughtering. Although unsurpassed as beef cattle, many of the cows are good milkers, the best of any of the strictly beef breeds. The crt ford& originated in the county of Hereford, may he described as red with white on face, ehest, belly, feet, and over the tops of the shoul ders. They are close rivals or the equals of Shorthorns as beef cattle. They are inferior dairy cattle, many giving scarcely enough milk to raise a calf. The Golloways are jet-black and hornless, strongly built and rather low in stature. They are hardy in constitution and much esteemed for beef, but very poor dairy cattle. The A berdeen ngus are also hornless and black, and bear a general resemblance in the Galloways, but are longer legged, larger, and looser built. The cows are better milkers. The herons are an exceedingly symmetrical, beautiful race, originated in North and South Devonshire. They are of a rich red color, and although the bulls and cows are rather small, the oxen grow to great size. The Devon oxen have long been prized as work ani mals. In regard to the relative merits of the different beef breeds no general conclusion ean be safely stated. It is largely a question of
individuality and the conditions to be met. There are good and bad examples of the beef type among all the breeds, and it is more impor tant that the animal should approach the beef type in conformation and development, and be so bred as to fatten readily and slaughter to good advantage, than that he should belong to any particular breed. But as between beef breeds and dairy breeds or natives, there is a distinct advantage in favor of the former, which is due mainly to their marked superiority in yielding a large percentage of dressed weight on slaughtering. more advantageous deposition of the fat in the carcass, thicker and better marbled cuts of beef, and to what experts dis cern as 'quality.' The beef animal has been specifically designed for the most favorable pro duction of the best meat, and while there are many cows which combine milk and beef produc tion to a profitable degree, a good carcass of beef from a steer of a pronounced dairy type or breed is rarely seen. The beef type of animals is rectangular in outline, low, broad, deep, smooth, and even—no wedge-shape or sharp pro truding spinal column is wanted for the block. According to Curtis. "Broad, well-covered backs and ribs are absolutely necessary to a good car cass of beef, and no other excellences will com pensate for the lack of this essential. It is necessary to both breed and feed for thickness in these parts. And mere thickness and sub stance here is not all. Animals that are soft and patchy, or hard and rolled on the back, are sure to give defective and objectionable car casses, even though they are thick, and they also cut up with correspondingly greater waste." A marked and important change has taken place in the. profitable type of eattle within compara tively recent years. The present demand is for quality and finish rather than size. The heavy, inordinately fat or rough and patchy bullock has passed away under the demand for early matu rity and plump. sappy carcasses of medium weight and minimum offal and waste. The mod ern type makes beef at decidedly more profit and economy to both the producer and the butcher, and furnishes the consumer a far superior article.