Abstract
WITHIN 200 pages octavo, of rather large type, does Prof. Wallace condense much useful information upon farm live-stock. It must, however, be evident that to treat of cattle, sheep, swine, and horses, from a biological, an agricultural, and an economical point of view would at least require double the number of pages, containing twice the number of words, and folded quarto. Brevity has been said to be the soul of wit; but in a work such as this we cannot but feel that it must be intended by its author either for those who know nothing or for those who know something of the subject. It appears to us to fall short of the requirements of each of these classes of readers. Four and a half lines—forty words, in fact—upon the Devon breed of cattle cannot be considered adequate, however terse and compressed they may be (and to the point they undoubtedly are), to giving a good word-picture of this race. Besides, Prof. Wallace must excuse us for differing from him as to his statements even in this very short description. He is wrong in saying “colour blood-red, no white.” There is white upon the fore-udder in almost all Devon cattle, and it is unfortunate that there should be a manifest error in this very short description of an important breed.
Farm Live-Stock of Great Britain.
By Robert Wallace, &c., Professor of Agriculture and Rural Economy in the University of Edinburgh. (London: Simpkin, Marshall, and Co.; Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1885.)
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[Book Reviews]. Nature 34, 51 (1886). https://doi.org/10.1038/034051b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/034051b0