The New Student's Reference Work/Cattle

Cattle, a term sometimes used to include all domestic quadrupeds, but usually applied to those of the bovine family, the ox and the cow, the most useful to man of all domestic animals and probably the first to be domesticated. In all ages and in all countries the ox has been employed as a beast of burden and of draught. Its chief value, however, is found in the fact that, aside from grains, it furnishes to mankind the chief articles of food, meat, milk, butter and cheese. The cow is the poor man's dependence in every clime and, as the basis of the meat and dairy industries, is a large factor in the commerce of the world. Modern husbandry has been wonderfully successful in improving the breeds of cattle along two distinct lines, developing certain breeds for the production of beef and other breeds for dairy purposes. Among the former the most notable are the Shorthorn or Durham, Hereford, hornless Angus, Galloway and Redpolled breeds. All of these breeds are characterized by heavy, square bodies, frequently reaching a live weight of two thousand pounds or more, and are fattened for market at a much earlier age than formerly. Among the dairy breeds are the Holstein, noted for the production of large quantities of milk, the Jersey, celebrated for the rich quality of the milk given, the Ayrshire and the Alderney. Each of these breeds has its champions, and for each special qualities of superiority are claimed. See Agriculture, Butter, Dairy-Factories, Milk and Meat-Packing.