Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/485

Rh be readily distinguished by their yellow and white markings and somewhat ampler proportions.

Ayrshire Cattle appear to be the result of Shorthorn crosses upon the races which were formerly called Dunlop Cattle. They are of various colouring, some being almost black, others of Channel Island hues, while some are brown and white, or yellow and white. The horns are upright and fairly long. The form is described as "wedge-shaped," by which is meant that from every point of view they are narrow in front and wide behind. Thus the narrow withers expand into wide loins, and the wide loins contract into narrow rumps. The for end is vertically shallow from withers to brisket, and expands into great depth at the flanks and buttocks. This is the best cheese-producing breed, and is famous in the Scotch Cheddar Cheese-making district of Kilmarnock.

The Norfolk Pollies are a red polled race of cattle of modern origin, and are highly esteemed for dairy purposes, and are also good fatteners. They probably are descended partly from Galloway cows imported by Norfolk graziers, and from the Suffolk Dun, which had a similar origin.

Kerries and Dexters may be taken together as both are improved varieties of the Irish Kerry breed. They are entirely black and horned. They are small in size, and are favourites with those who keep two or three pet cows for domestic uses. The Dexter was produced by Captain Dexter, who crossed Kerry cows with Shorthorn bulls, and afterwards bred the producer inter se until the breed became fixed in its characters. The Dexter fattens more easily than the Kerry.

QUALITY OF BEEF.

The quality of beef depends partly upon race, but also upon age, sex and feeding. The best beef is that of steers or castrated males of three years old. Heifer beef is probably equally good, but cow beef is decidedly inferior, as is also the flesh of bulls. Grass fed beef is esteemed as superior to that of winter fed animals fattened upon turnips, oil-cake and other artificial foods. The best beef is red in colour and marbled or mottled, with fat finely intermingled with the lean. The hindquarters of cattle are superior to the fore-quarters, and in fact, necks, shoulders and "crops" of beef are never seen on the best tables, but are sold by contract to shippers, etc., at a low price. The hind-quarters contain the ribs, the sirloins, the rumps, the buttocks, and the "rounds." The flank is rolled and used for "corned beef." Beef is highly popular with Englishmen, and is preferred to mutton. It is, however, less easy of digestion, and seems naturally to require mustard or horse-radish as condiments, which are not needed with mutton.