Part 54

GERMAN COACH.--Colors bay, brown or black. Height sixteen to sixteen and one-half hands. Weight 1350 to 1450 pounds. Deep, round body, well proportioned, close ribs, neck long and high set on shoulders, neat head, intelligent face. Back short and strong, smooth at coupling, plump rounded quarters, strongly muscled limbs, strong hock, good feet.

SHETLAND PONY.--Height ten hands two inches. Weight 325 to 375 pounds. Compact build, deep body, heavy muscular quarters, short legs, short broad back, deep full chest, muscular neck, small head and ears, prominent eyes, docile disposition. Colors brown, black and bay. Long shaggy coats, heavy, long mane.

STANDARD-BRED TROTTER.--Head well proportioned, clean cut, neck long and muscular, crested in stallions. Shoulders well muscled, chest low, foreleg long from elbow to knee, short from knee to fetlock. Pasterns sloping, feet moderate in size, oily in appearance. Back and loin well muscled, hind quarters and croup well muscled and smooth. No fixed colors. Height sixteen hands. Weight for mares 900 pounds, stallions 1150 pounds.

THOROUGHBRED.--Very deep, narrow chest, long legs. Refinement and clear definition of feature. Large nostrils, full, clear eyes, broad forehead, neck long and straight, sloping shoulder, muscular hindquarters, sharp withers, well marked superficial blood vessels, silky skin and hair. Colors bay, brown or chestnut, more or less white in face and limbs. Height fifteen to sixteen hands. Weight 900 to 1050 pounds.

WELSH PONY.--Good shoulders, strong back, neat head, best of legs and feet. Height twelve to thirteen hands. Colors bay or brown, gray or black. Great strength and endurance.

=Llama= (_Auchenia lama_), a most useful South American domesticated variety of the guanaco whose herds roam with the rheas on the plains of Patagonia, or climb on the Cordilleras. As a beast of burden the llama was in general use at the time of the Spanish conquest, and its sure-footedness and power of foraging for itself make it most valuable for transport in the rough and steep mining regions of the Andes. In many places, however, mules have to some extent replaced the llamas. The males carry a hundredweight about twelve miles in a day. The females, which are kept for breeding, are smaller and less strong than the males. The animal is larger and stouter than the allied species, the alpaca, stands about three feet high at the shoulders, and keeps its head raised.

The reader of the story of “Robinson Crusoe” will remember that a llama, with its two young ones, were his first household companions.

=Rabbit.=--See page 198, under Hare.

=Reindeer= (_Rangifer tarandus_) is the only representative of the genus. It is a native of the northern parts of Europe, Asia and America, and was introduced into Iceland in 1770. It is by far the most valuable of the deer, for not only are the flesh and skin of much use, but the animal has long been domesticated in Scandinavia, especially among the Laplanders.

The wild reindeer of Lapland is almost equal in size to the stag, but there are great differences of size in different districts, the largest size being generally attained in the polar regions. The reindeer is strong, somewhat heavily built, but yet very swift. The hair is longer in winter, and is gray or brownish in color. The legs are short and thick, and the broad main hoofs spread out as the animal speeds over the snow. Besides the main hoofs, there are two accessory lateral hoofs. The head is carried horizontally, not erect as in other deer. The antlers are large and are unique in being possessed by both sexes. Moreover, they begin to appear at an early stage in life, within a few weeks after birth, and at the same time in both sexes, whereas in the other deer, in which only the males have antlers, they do not appear before nine months or more after birth.

In summer the Lapland reindeer feeds chiefly on the shoots of willow and birch, while in the winter it depends mainly on lichens such as the so-called reindeer moss.

In their natural life the reindeer are gregarious. They migrate from the mountains to the lowlands in winter, and return again in spring, a change in part dependent on the food-supply. It constitutes the chief part of the Lapp’s wealth, and some possess tame herds of two thousand or more, which feed chiefly in the mountainous regions in summer and in the lower grounds in winter. The animal can maintain a speed of nine or ten miles an hour for a long time, and can easily draw a weight of two hundred pounds besides the sledge. The reindeer also yields excellent milk. In Siberia a large domestic reindeer is used for riding.

The CARIBOU, or American reindeer, is found in the northern parts of Canada, but is not domesticated.

=Sheep= (_Ovis aries_).--The common sheep was probably the first animal domesticated by man in western Asia--the first home of the human race and their propagation, care and improvement have always played a large part in the best husbandry of all lands. Domestication and selective breeding have greatly modified the sheep as to bodily size, length and quality of wool, presence and character of horns, and in the case of the so-called fat-tailed sheep, the tail has become enormously developed.

Sheep were introduced into Florida by the Spanish in 1565; into Virginia in 1609; into Massachusetts in 1624; into New York in 1625; into New Jersey and Delaware by the Swedes in 1634; into Pennsylvania in 1684; and into California by the Spanish missions from Mexico in 1773.

The flesh of sheep is both a staple and a delicacy, and from their wool has been fashioned clothing to meet a wider range of requirements for bodily comfort than any other fiber, animal or vegetable, has afforded. Their skins are a large factor in manufacture, arts and commerce.

The common classification of sheep is according to the characteristics of their fleeces, as “fine wools,” “long wools” and “medium wools.” The American Merino, the Delaine Merino, and Rambouillet belong to the first named class, or fine wools; the Leicester, Lincoln and Cotswold, to the long wools; and the Southdown, Tunis, Dorset, Shropshire, Cheviot, Suffolk, Hampshire and Oxford, to the medium wools. The fine wool breeds are reared chiefly for wool, while the others are kept for both wool and mutton. Nearly all the breeds in the United States, except the Merino, were imported from Great Britain. Wyoming, Montana, New Mexico and Idaho are foremost in sheep and wool-growing, and theirs, with those of Utah and Oregon, make nearly half of the total production in the United States.

The good-nature, gentleness, and patience of sheep have become proverbial; it is therefore not to be wondered at that they are the pets of children, and that the playful gambols and antics of the lambs amuse young and old alike.

CHARACTERISTICS OF REPRESENTATIVE WOOL BREEDS

LEICESTER.--Hornless, large size, rectangular form of body on clean legs, bare faces or carrying a very scant topknot. Head long, tapering toward muzzle, face wedge-shaped, covered with fine white hairs, eyes large and prominent, neck strong and moderately short. Breast deep, broad and full. Back broad and well fleshed. Legs of moderate length. Fleece fine, uniform, curly, with bright luster.

LINCOLN.--Large size with heavy fleece of long wavy or curly wool and moderate tuft of wool on face. Color white, head large, without horns, body deep, back wide and straight. Legs broad and set well apart. Weight for rams 250 pounds, ewes 200 pounds.

MERINO.--Distinguished by its very fine wool, usually delicately crimped. Wool generally short and dense. Grows to tips of ears and hoofs of feet. Form, when shorn, angular, shoulders narrow, back not usually so straight or strong as English breeds, legs less straight and neck more slender. Ram usually has horns. Very enduring and resistant. The American merino has three to five heavy folds on neck, and folds on arm and sides and across hips. Fleece covers entire sheep except tip of nose and hoofs. Eyes hidden by wool. Outside of fleece a dirty brown, but inside white. Ewes 80 to 100 pounds, rams 100 to 175 pounds. Delaine merinos have smoother bodies than the American, and fewer folds and wrinkles. Mature ewes 100 to 150 pounds, rams 140 to 200 pounds. Rambouillet merinos have large bodies, usually smooth and free from wrinkles, except perhaps on neck. Fleece fine and white. Rams usually have large spirally curved horns, ewes hornless. Legs long. Rams 175 to 185 pounds, ewes 140 to 160 pounds.

REPRESENTATIVE MUTTON PRODUCING BREEDS

CHEVIOT.--Medium size, hornless, face and legs white, body closely covered with wool of soft fiber and pure white. Head bold and broad. Fleece forms almost a ruff about face. Deep and large in breast, back wide and straight. Short legs set well apart, hoofs black. Mature rams 200 pounds, ewes 150 pounds.

COTSWOLD.--Large, high-standing breed with heavy fleece of long white, lustrous wool. Ample topknot often covering eyes. Bold, upright carriage. Head moderately small, face white or mixed with gray, eyes prominent, neck short, thick and strong, shoulders broad and full, back broad, breast broad and well forward, quarters long and full, mutton quite down to hock. Weight of ram 250 pounds, ewe 200 pounds.

DORSET-HORN.--Face and legs pure white, flesh-colored nose. Both sexes have horns. Eyes prominent, neck short and symmetrical, shoulders broad and full. Chest full and deep, quarters wide and full with mutton extending down to hock. Fleece medium grade, of even quality, extending over belly and well down on legs. Short, stout legs. Weight for rams 200 pounds, ewes 160 pounds.

HAMPSHIRE DOWN.--Black face, head large, well covered with wool on forehead and cheeks, nostrils wide. Ears large and drooping, eyes prominent and lustrous, legs well under outside of body, straight, almost black. Chest deep and full with breast prominent and full, back straight, quarters long and deep in thigh. Ewes prolific and heavy milkers. Weight for rams 250 pounds, ewes 185 to 195 pounds.

OXFORD DOWN.--Largest of down breeds. Nearly straight on underline. Long and coarse fleece. Very stately appearance. Color of face and legs brown, which is often flecked with gray. Ewes very prolific and heavy milkers. Not hardy under American climatic conditions. Rams 250 to 350 pounds, ewes 180 to 275 pounds.

SHROPSHIRE DOWN.--Dark brown face and legs. Broad head, short face, thick muscular neck, body somewhat barrel shaped, except that it is straight on back. Body, head and legs to knees covered with fleece of even length and quality. Weight for rams 225 pounds, ewes 175 pounds.

SOUTH DOWN.--Smallest of down breeds, but the model in form. Short, straight legs, wide apart; broad level back, thickly fleshed; long, broad hips; neck short, thick at shoulder; head small, forehead full, face short, eyes prominent, ears small. Face and legs uniform reddish brown. Hindquarters carry down very heavy; breast broad and prominent. Fleece compact, long and close wool, white and carrying some yolk. Best weight for rams 200 pounds, ewes 150 pounds.

SUFFOLK DOWN.--Large, rangy sheep, black-faced, hornless, with long, clean, black legs. Wool is of good quality and mutton is excellent. A good feeder and very prolific.

=Swine, Pig or Hog= (_Sus_).--There are numerous varieties of the domestic pig. Some have erect and some pendent ears, and those are most esteemed which exhibit the greatest departure from the wild type, notably in shorter and less powerful limbs, less muscular and more rounded forms, wider ribs, and greater wealth of flesh.

The domestication of the pig is remotely ancient, having been established among the Chinese for some thousands of years. It was brought to America by the early colonists. However, it is only during the last two hundred years that the pig has reached its present highly modified state of domestication, and only during the last century has selective breeding been carried on to secure rapid growth and much fat.

The Chinese breed is renowned for its fertility. Its head is short and thick, ears erect, legs very short, chine high and broad, and jowl wide, belly hanging very near to the ground. As a rule it carries a small quantity of hair. The skin is usually dark, but the flesh is delicate and white. The Neapolitan breed is entirely black, with little hair, remarkably easy to fatten, but scarcely so robust in constitution or so prolific as the Chinese pig.

Swine are most profitably reared where corn and grass most abound; hence, they are found in America in largest numbers and highest development, the United States not infrequently having upwards of fifty per cent of the world’s supply. In America the industry centers in the Mississippi valley, where Indian corn is grown in greatest abundance and at least expense, particularly in the states of Iowa, Illinois, Texas, Nebraska, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio and Kansas. These swine are mostly of the four breeds of the large or “lard” type, viz.: Poland-Chinas, and Berkshires, Duroc-Jerseys and Chester Whites, the Poland-Chinas predominating.

DESCRIPTIONS OF REPRESENTATIVE BREEDS

BERKSHIRE.--Rather more than medium size. Snout of medium length, face dished. Ears nearly erect, well carried. Jowl heavy. Neck short with considerable crest. Shoulder, back and rump of good width. Body deep. Ham thickly meated, strong constitution. Color black with a white mark on face. White on each foot and on tip of tail.

CHESHIRE.--Medium size. Body has good length. Shoulders and hams well developed. Face slightly dished. Ear small and erect. Bone fine and of fair quality. Color white. Black spots often occur on skin.

CHESTER-WHITE.--Medium size, face straight or very slightly dished. Ear droops and is somewhat loosely attached to head. Color white, hair in many specimens wavy or curly. Neck wide, deep and short. Jowl smooth, neat and firm. Shoulders broad, deep and full. Chest large, deep, full in girth. Sides full, smooth, deep; ham broad, full, long, wide and deep. Back broad on top, straight or slightly arched, legs short and straight. Coat fine. Weight of boars two years old 500 pounds, sows 450 pounds.

DUROC-JERSEY.--Medium size, fine bone. Snout medium length, face slightly dished, ear drooped, jowl heavy, body wide and deep set on short legs. Ham heavily fleshed. Cherry red the popular color, but yellowish red and chestnut are often seen. Weight of boars two years old 600 pounds, sows 500 pounds.

HAMPSHIRE or THIN-RIND SWINE.--Medium size, face straight, ear inclined forward, but does not droop. Jowl light, as is also shoulder and ham. Back of medium width. Legs of medium length and bone of good quality. Color black extremities with a white belt four to twelve inches wide encircling body and including fore-legs, which should also be white. Weight, boars two years old 450 pounds, sows 400 pounds.

LARGE YORKSHIRE.--One of the largest breeds. Snout of medium length, with little or no dish. Moderate dish in face. Jowl of good width and muscular. Ears rather large, firmly attached, fringed with fine hair. Shoulders and back of medium width. Side long. Ham lighter than that of lard type with flesh carried well round inside of thigh. Legs medium length. Bone fairly heavy, clean and flinty. Color, white.

POLAND-CHINA.--Medium size. Face slightly dished. Jowl full and heavy. Ears fine, firmly attached; about one-third of ear droops. Neck short, thick and heavily arched on top. Shoulder heavy. Side short. Back wide. Ham very wide and deep. Legs short, bone fine. Black with six white points on face, feet and tip of tail. Weight of boars two years old 600 pounds, sows 500 pounds.

TAMWORTH.--Should have golden-red hair on a flesh-colored skin, free from black. Snout long and straight. Ear large. Jowl narrow and light. Neck and shoulder are light; back and loin of medium width, side of good length, moderately deep. Rather deficient in ham. Legs long and strong.

=Yak= (_Bos grunniens_), a species of ox found in Tibet, and domesticated there. The wild yak of central Asia is the largest native animal of Tibet, and is found only near the limits of perpetual snow. The domesticated yak, which forms great part of the wealth of the inhabitants of central Asia, is about the height of an American ox, which it much resembles also in body, head, and legs; but it is covered all over with a thick coat of long, silky hair, that of the lower parts of the body being very long and hanging down almost to the ground. The neck is short; the rump is low; the legs are short. Over the shoulders there is a bunch of long hair; and the tail is covered with a prodigious quantity of long, flowing hair. Its milk is very rich, and yields excellent butter and curd.

=Zebu= (_Bos indicus_), an ox which exists only in a domesticated state in Asia. It is characterized chiefly by its large hump, or sometimes two humps, over the withers and by a greatly developed dewlap. Its color varies from ashen grey to pure white, and white bulls, known as Brahmin bulls, are held sacred by the Hindus and allowed to wander at will. They vary greatly in size, and in India are used as beasts of burden and draft.

DOMESTICATED FISH

=Carp= (_Cyprinus_), constitutes a group of fishes without spines in the fins. The true carp originated in China and was introduced into Europe three hundred years ago, and much later into America. The back is blackish gray or brown, the sides yellowish brown, the belly yellow. The usual length is between one and two feet, but large forms five feet long or more have been caught.

The carp is mainly vegetarian, but also eats small animals, such as larvæ and worms. The general habit is sluggish, except at the spawning period in May and June. Their longevity is great; some are said to have lived one hundred and fifty to two hundred years. The carp is an important food fish, and is largely bred in the United States.

=Goldfish=, or GOLDEN CARP (_Carassius auratus_), a Chinese and Japanese fresh-water fish nearly allied to the carp but lacking barbels. In its warm native waters it is brownish, like its neighbor species, the crucian carp (_C. carassius_) while in its more familiar domesticated state it loses the black and brown pigment, becomes golden-yellow, or passes more completely into albinism in those unpigmented forms known as silver fish. The goldfish is naturalized in some rivers, and has had a wide artificial distribution throughout the world.

DOMESTICATED BIRDS

=Canary.=--See page 213.

=Chickens= (_Gallus domestica_), or Fowls, are widely distributed and almost universally raised in every rural home. Immense poultry plants have been built up in America in recent years, and the business developed to proportions of a notably distinct industry. The contributions of poultry to the nation’s wealth, mostly by the hands of farmers’ wives, reaches an annual total of half a billion dollars or more--an amount equal to the average value of the nation’s wheat crop.

Apart from the intrinsic merits of the individual breeds, and the better understood methods of breeding and management, much progress has been due to artificial methods of hatching and rearing the young fowls. The incubator and the brooder make it possible to secure chicks at any season of the year, and thus permits the development of special branches of poultry raising, such as the production of broilers and soft roasters.

There are numerous standard varieties of chickens recognized in the United States, subdivided into four general classes, as follows: The general-purpose breeds--the American class--Plymouth Rock, the Wyandotte, and Dominique; the heavier, clumsier or meat breeds, such as the Brahma, Cochin, and Langshan; the egg breeds, as the Leghorn, Minorca, Andalusian, and Black Spanish; the ornamental breeds, as the various Bantams, and others. Some other breeds on American farms are the Rhode Island Red, Orpington, Houdan, Dorking and Hamburg.

LEADING BREEDS OF POULTRY DESCRIBED

BRAHMA.--Meat breed. Two varieties, light and dark. Show heavy leg and toe feathering, thick, close plumage. General color of light Brahma, white, with black tail and black center stripes in both hackle and saddle feathers. In dark Brahma, wings of cock crossed by heavy black bar, and entire breast, body, leg and toes black. Back, wings, body and breast of female have a basis of gray on which are distinct dark pencilings. Weight for dark cocks eleven pounds, hens eight and one-half pounds; for light cocks twelve pounds, hens nine and one-half pounds. Brown egg.

COCHIN.--Meat breed. Four varieties, buff, partridge, white, black. Peculiarity is an appearance of massiveness and fluffiness. Heavy, short feathering is piled high on back and extends wide at sides. Excessive thigh and shank feathering. Combs single, low, close on head and evenly serrated with five distinct points. Cocks weigh eleven pounds, hens eight and one-half pounds. Brown egg.

DORKING.--General purpose, meat especially. Three varieties, colored, white and silver-gray. Body long and deep. Carries abundance of flesh. Skin white. Colored largest cocks weigh nine pounds and hens seven pounds. White cocks weigh seven and one-half pounds, hens six pounds. Silver-gray variety is between these two. All have a fifth toe. Eggs of very light color.

HAMBURG.--Egg and fancy breed. Six varieties, golden spangled, silver spangled, golden penciled, silver penciled, white and black. About size of the Leghorn. White egg.

HOUDAN.--General breeding purposes. Color black and white evenly broken in alternate splotches throughout entire plumage. Head ornaments of crest and beard. White skin. Carry fifth toe on each foot. Cocks weigh seven pounds, hens six pounds. White egg.

INDIAN.--Meat breed. Two varieties, Cornish and white. Beaks and shanks yellow. Bird of strong proportions. Back and wings of cock mixture of red and black, tail and breast black. Hen’s back, wings, breast and body a rich bay penciled with black. Cocks weigh nine pounds, hens six and one-half pounds. Tinted egg.

LEGHORN.--Egg production. Eight varieties, single-comb and rose-comb brown, single-comb and rose-comb white, single-comb and rose-comb buff, single-comb black and single-comb silver duck-wing. Characterized by early maturity and great activity. Large combs on the top of head. White egg.

MINORCA.--Egg breed. Three varieties, single-comb black, rose-comb black, single-comb white. Long body, carried rather upright, deep at breast with back tapering sharply toward tail, which is long and carried rather low. Comb large. Ear lobes large and pure white. Cocks of rose-comb weigh eight pounds, hens six and one-half pounds. Single-combs weigh one pound heavier. White egg.

ORPINGTON.--General purpose. Three varieties, buff, black and white. Long body, abundant plumage, white skin. Short, heavy shanks. Tendency to feathering on shanks. Cock weighs ten pounds, hen eight pounds. Egg tinted.

PLYMOUTH ROCK.--General purpose, for both meat and eggs. Three varieties, the barred, white and buff. Back and body rather long, breast broad and deep. Single combs, yellow shanks. Cocks weight nine and one-half pounds and hens seven and one-half pounds. Brown egg.

RHODE ISLAND RED.--General purpose. Two varieties, single comb and rose-comb. Tail color black. Rhode Island red has a red surface of body plumage, with a red under color, free from slate.

Buckeye breed surface color is dark, rich garnet, and under color allows a bar of slate-color next to surface. Body of both long. Rhode Island Reds level. Buckeye body shows slight elevation in front. Weight of Rhode Island red cocks eight and one-half pounds, hens six and one-half pounds. Buckeye cocks nine pounds, hens six pounds. Brown egg.