HOW TO JUDGE SHORTHORN CATTLE.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 27, 14 January 1875, Page 3

HOW TO JUDGE SHORTHORN CATTLE.

The exhibition of 1874 is now a thing ef the past j the usual routine of show, examination, and criticism, and judging has been gone through, and now comes the usual scrutiny of the judges by a discerning public. Few judges can give universal satisfaction. This may arise from the varied tastes, interest, and sympathy of those who differ in opinion. It is clear that the judges have the best opportunity of knowing which is the best animal, for they have them nil before them in a ring, and no one, to molest thorn ; but when we see judges ranking the animals in close file, with their heads against a fence, and standing at their tails to make their decisions J confess it must stagger the faith of those who have seen Smithfield. One gentleman has found fault because there was no handling. How doctors differ, for I would have inferred from that, that the judges were men of even* day practice ; such being the case, handling ma}' be dispensed with. Many good judges never lay a hand on a beast when judging for a prize. It is surprising that a whole set of judges should be satisfied with having the cattle in a position where they could not walk all round them and see every point from ditf. rent views, when they had the opportunity of so doing. The head, which was against the fence, and contained the eye — the indication of so much that is valuable in animals — the nose, the countenance, the fore-quarters the lie of the shoulder, and the muscles on the shoulder blade all being out of their reach. It' they had 'Mimed their tails to the fence, I would have forgiven them, because the hind quarters are so much easier judged than the forequarters it is impossible lo judge an animal without viewing* it from different positions, the more especially the forequarfers. It is not my intention, however, to enter at this time into disputations on the subject, but to la}' dow-n a few rules whereby any one can become a judge, if they study and practice when they have an opportunity ; but let me warn beginners not to be too forward in giving an opinion, till they have a considerable amount of practice. We knowit bas been said by wise people that " a iittle learning is a dangerous thing." T o subjoined rules were originated s ine years ago in the best breeding d rricts in England, and every success f.l judge ha* them in his mind when engaged in >uch work. The great aim of breeders is that their stock shall ex hibit beautiful symmetry, possess robust constitution, and acquire a disposition to attain early maturity, without which properties, good health, fine quality of flesh, and of fat cannot be insured Let us consider what each of these properties means, and then attend to the points in animals, which always accompany these properties. DISPOSITION TO ATTAIN EARLY MATURITY. The most prominent indication of this disposition is a loose, thick, mellow skin, as if floating upon a stratum of fat bi -low ; and such a skin is invariably covered with long, soft, mossy, feeling hair, bearing a decided color. A firmness of texture over the whole body is essential to a disposition to fatten ; no fat encumbers the bones of the legs, an 1 of the head. All the extremities, thj limbs, head, and tail, are small, fine, and tapering from the body, The eve is prominently set in the head, and with a placid expression. The forehe «d is broad. Ihe ears are sensible to every sound. The muzzle is sharp, the nostrils distended, the. jaws distinct and clean. The muscles are broad and flat. The blood vessels large and full The chest is broad, and the tail flat at t l ie top, and broad and tapering to the tuft of uair. The line of the back is straight iind level, and the ribs round. A back high above tho level is narrow, and is accompanied with flat ribs, and long and narrow face, which are. both indicative of a want of a disposition to fatten. When the back is below the line, the fat and flesh are mostly put upon the under part of the carcass, and tbe tidlow increases in the interior. In such a configuration the fore-quarters are larger than the bind Such an animal evinces a disposition to fatten, but lays on coarse pieces. When the curved lines abound over the body and play into one another, giving a brilliancy to the surface, while the sweeping lines of the contour, with the tapering fineness bt tbe extremities, tbe pleasing countenance, and the jon'ous spirit, a symmetry, state of health, and disposition to improve are conjoined, that afford the highest satisfaction and profit to the breeder. SYMMETRY. We have heard of the rectangle, but this figure only carries us but a short way. If we adopt this -principle* why not carry it out, and rake tin* parrallelopiped, as has been done with -marked success many ,y r ears ago ; it not- only affords a figure that may .be propor-tionately;•-beautiful, but it contains a large capacity of contents within small dimensions. Of course, .it is not to be supposed that the outline of any animal frame should present the sjiurp.. edges and projecting angles : of, -a g**om,efy?c figure, but it is quite possible to^idpp-: tiiy the, similarity of .the- 'animal .^bodyto the mathematical solid. In the attainment of this similarity, it is for-

tunate for the breeder of stock that his taste and interest coincide ; for, if bis eye is not pleased with the form oi the animal he has bred, certain it is that the animal will not become a valuable one to him. In order to satisfy one's mind on the identity of shape of the animal frame, and the geometric solid named, we have only to compare the figure of a well shaped animal when fully fed with the said solid. If we take a wooden rectangular frame, and place it against the sides of the ox, and which is similar to the sides of a parallelepiped of the same dimensions of the ox, we will find it circumscribes in almost every point the outline of the animal ; and that outline is no more redundant in one place, and deficient in another, than might l je expected in comparing the form of a living creature with a mathematical figure. But a parallelopiped has not sides only — it has also ends. Let us see whether the figure of the same ox also answers to these, when viewed from behind and before. If we apply the ends of the geometric solid in the form of a rectangular square, from the root of the tail to the houghs, the hook bones, and the well filled buttocks will, at a glance, make- it evident that the same remarks apply to this view of the figure as to that of the side. Still further, if we apply the same rectangular square to the fore part of the same ox, and although the frame is not so fully filled up in this view as in the two former, it is clear that the general contour of the animal in this view also is very similar to both the preceding. The width between the shoulders of an ox at the widest part low down is always a little less than between the hooks behind, although the ribs are alwnys us full in a well formed animal. The parallelepiped has an upner surface and a base, as well as sides and ends If we apply it along the back of the ox, we will find it fills it as fully as might be expected, and so with the underline — the only spaces being left vacant are those at the angles. So far then the contour of the frame of a matured ox tallies very nearly with the lines of a regular mathematical solid. It will be observed that tinfurm oi such a frame for the length of ot the animal is a rectangle, and for the breadth a square ; so that the conclusion we slum d draw in reference to th»figure of ihe ox is, that the length of the body to the shoulder p int is tvvic* its breadth, and twice its depth, Tin lines which fid up the contour of th ox are the. following : The line from fh shoulder to the hook bone, should be parallel to the ba<-k bone. The loin abov from ihe. hooks, half-way to the shoulder, should he perfectly flat, and on the same level with the back-bone, and drop suddenly down the side, and cmnect itself with the rounding of the last three ribs. The point of the hookbone should just be seen to project, and no more ; and the space, between it. nnd the rump should gndually sweep in a roundish form to the narrower breadth of the pelvis on each side of the tail head. The utmost hend of the ribs is a little, more than half-way down from the back to the belly, through which a. straight line should touch at every point from the front of the shoulder to the round. The triangular space of the neck, a little down from the shoulder should gradually taper from the shoulder point to the head. Ihe line of (he back, from the shoulder to the root of the tail, should be straight, and the tail drop down perpendicularly • and the he.llv should sweep in a somewhat level line, not too high at the flank, nor drooping behind the fore-legs Proceeding to behind the ox, the space from hook to hook should be line, but a little rounded off at both sides. When the muscles on each side of the rounds below the hook bones are fuller than the hooks, it is no deformity, but when no fuller they are right. The muscles at the buttocks, at the lower end of the small rounds, should sweep gradually towards the hock joints of the legs. The closing should be filled, to furnish the rounds fully, but freely, for vacked rounds prevent easy motion of the hind legs. On going to the fore view, the shoulder-top should be broad, with its sides naturally round, and the muscles below it upon the shoulder-blades should id ways project further than the breadth .of the shoulder top; and in this respect the fore-quarter differs from the hind. As I have said before, this part of the ox comes a little short of the hind- quarters, but it is the height of perfection to have them come as near as possible. The shoulder points should not be prominent, but rounded off wirh the musclps of the neck inio the brisket, when the front of the neck comes from the head to the breast. The brisket, projecting a little forward, ! falls in a rounded form to the lowest, part, of the body, and fills out on both sides of 'the fore legs. The fore and hind legs, should in a full fed animal, I be about the same breadth apart, and when such, is the case the quarters w;eigh nearly the same. The objectionable deviations from these points are as follows: — The hollow back half -way from the books to the ; shoulder is bad, showing weakness.of the. backbone. A high shoulder is always attended with a- sharpness, having .the effect of bringing the -shoulders -too close. A long disfancs between the ribs and hookbone makes the loins hollow, gives the ox what is

called a washy appearance, which •is always prone to looseness of the bowels A sharp projecting hook is alwaye accompanied with flat ribs, and flat ribs make a hollow side, which bears little flesh, and pushes the viscera into the lower part of the abdomen, causing the belly to drop considerably below the line of the frame. Whenever the shoulder becomes thin and narrow, viewed in front, the shoulder points are much wider than the shoulder top ; and while this is the case, the brisket below never becomes fat, and then the fore legs stand too near each other. The indications of good health and strength of constitution are — strong, broad, flat bones in the legs, with the sinews thick and round, and distinctly developed, the whole being closely covered with skin. This condition of the legs is what is termed clpan. The eye is full and. clear The skin of the nose is bedewed with moisture. The skin is covered closely with long fine hair. The surface of the horn on the feet and head is oily and shining, with a tendency to curl. The animal spirits lively, the senses acute, and the instinct sagacious ; the appetite ready, digestion food ; the boby enduring o v fatigue, and little susceptible of the change* of the wearhpi*. A delicate constitution is indicated by tho opposite properties. The skin is thin, and covered with scanty hair or open wool. With such a covering the animal is affected by the least change of weather, overcome with the heat of summer, feels uneasy in the cold of winter, and is chilled by every shower that falls. A very small bone, however clean, is always accompanied with a reduced size of carcass. Thick and round bone gives a clumsiness to the limbs and head, and is invariably accompanied with dulness of spiritsand want of action A thin-skinned and thick-boned animal is hard to maintain in condition. A fit of indigestion frequently overtakes thinskinned animals, and their condition in consequence varies. Thick-boned animals never seem to relish their food, are indifferent to everything* that concerns 'hem, and are dull feeders A flat-ribbed ■inimal, and thin -bodied, is more delicate than a round-ribbfid one