No. 105.] 411 



nished the most striking example as a successful breeder, was gov- 

 erned by no such notions ; and from all we can learn, his system and 

 practices were quite opposed to them. Mr. Marshall, who has told 

 us nearly all we know of his management, says — " before Mr. Bake- 

 well's day, nothing would suit but elephants and giants." He in- 

 troduced a different fashion — smaller animals, easier supported, soon- 

 er matured, truer in their form, giving more useful flesh, with less 

 offal. He first taught the utility of form, or that proportion of parts 

 which renders the animal most useful in the capacity for which it is 

 designed. 



Again, the celebrated improver of the Short-horns, Charles Colling, 

 who has been called a disciple of Bakewell — though he worked with 

 a different breed — it is well known, begun with a determination to 

 reduce the size. For this purpose he used a bull smaller than the 

 Short-horns usually were, (Hubback) which in that day was called 

 a mongrel by some who thought to cast ridicule on his course. Mr, 

 Colling saw, (says the Rev. Henry Berry) the great " difficulty of 

 breeding large good animals," and in the outset decided to attempt 

 the improvement of the breed by lessenmg its size. The success of 

 Mr. Colling, at least so far as regards early maturity, and tendency 

 to fatten, is beyond a question. And the fact should be borne in 

 mind that the best of the improved Short-horns, are much smaller in 

 frame than the old breed. 



Mr. H. said he knew it was common for people who had not given 

 much attention to the matter, to attribute excellence in animals to 

 large size, and he knew of no error more fatal to improvement. It 

 had been well observed by a distinguished breeder, that large size, 

 merely, no more indicates excellence in quadrupeds^ than in men! 

 The best cattle for any purpose, whether Short-horns, Herefords, or 

 Devons, are comparatively small boned. 



Mr. Stevens, of Buffalo, v/as sorry that the discussion had not 

 been more specific. Cattle are used in the State of New-York for va- 

 rious purposes, and he regretted that the subject had not been taken 

 up in such a manner as to show what constituted a good animal for 

 some of these purposes. He was aware that this subject could not 

 be properly " talked over" in the space of a single evening ; yet he 

 thought we should first settle on the principles^ and then proceed to 

 make an application of them. 



In regard to the characteristics of different breeds, and their adap- 

 tation to different purposes, much h.id been said. The qualities of 

 the Durhams, or Improved Short-horns, had been spoken of. He had 

 been somewhat acquainted with different families of the Short-horns, 

 and had found them quite various in their characters. The improved 

 variety, being an artificial, or " made up" breed, they were less uni- 

 form in their character and properties than some others. He was a 

 strong advocate for the best Short-horns, but in obtaining those of 

 this description, almost everything depended on selection, or the 

 manner in which they had been bred. The best animals he had ever 

 owned, were Short-horns, and the wor^^ were also Short-horns. The 

 difference was owing to the manner of breeding. 



