ecial use is indicative of the quick fattening of the
animal so constructed, and it is also indicative of the bones being
small and the legs short. For constitutional powers, the beast should
have his ribs extended well towards the thigh-bones or hips, so as to
leave as little unprotected space as possible. There must be no
angular, or abrupt points; all must be round, and broad, and parallel.
Any depression in the lean animal will give a deficient deposit of flesh
and fat at that point, when sold to the butcher, and thus deteriorate
its value; and hence the animal must be round and full.

But either fancy, or accident, or skill--it is unnecessary to decide
which--has associated _symmetry_ with quality and conformation, as a
point of great importance in animals calculated for fattening; and there
is no doubt that, to a certain extent, this is so. The beast must be a
system of mathematical lines. To the advocate of symmetry, the
setting-on of a tail will be a condemning fault; indeed the ridge of the
back, like a straight line, with the outline of the belly exactly
parallel, viewed from the side, and a depth and squareness when viewed
from behind,--which remind us of a geometrical cube, rather than a vital
economy,--may be said to be the indications of excellence in a fat ox.
The points of excellence in such an animal are outlined under the
subsequent head, as developed in the cutting up after slaughter.

Now, these qualities are inherent in some breeds; there may be cases and
instances in all the superior breeds, and in most there may be failures.

DRIVING AND SLAUGHTERING.

It is necessary that cattle which have been disposed of to the dealer or
butcher, or which are intended to be driven to market, should undergo a
preparation for the journey. If they were immediately put to the road to
travel, from feeding on grass or turnips, when their bowels are full of
undigested vegetable matter, a scouring might ensue which would render
them unfit to pursue their journey; and this complaint is the more
likely to be brought on from the strong propensity which cattle have to
take violent exercise upon feeling themselves at liberty after a long
confinement. They in fact, become light-headed whenever they leave the
barn or enclosure, so much so that they actually "frisk and race and
leap," and their antics would be highly amusing, were it not for the
apprehension that they may hurt themselves against some opposing object,
as t