BREED OF CATTLE. 323 



bo vines by which he is surroimded, and says that they are of 

 every colour and shape — " Greeks, Yankee Doodles, and 

 Hindoos " — indeed he would not be surprised if a green bull 

 were introduced before long. The Ayrshire and Angus crosses 

 are fair milkers, but are useless for producing beef The short- 

 horn crosses are, however, worthy exceptions. With good strong 

 j)olled females and a useful bull, the progeny are large in size and 

 splendid feeders. Crossing in this way ensures early maturity 

 and weight of carcase from the shorthorn side, while the poll 

 iXuarantees constitution to withstand vicissitudes of climate and 

 the property of making a comparatively small amount of food 

 into a considerable weight of finelv-marbled flesh. The blendincr 

 of two such noble races as the shorthorn and the poll is generally 

 successful if the female be on the polled side ; the reverse is not 

 attended with sucli happy effects. Since the wonderful improve- 

 ment in the polled race, some feeders question whether crossing 

 with the shorthorn brings either weight or early-maturing prin- 

 ciples, while they say the quality of the meat is somewhat 

 impaired ; others look at the matter in another light, and prefer 

 feeding; cattle with a dash of shorthorn blood in their veins. 



Tmjjrovcmcnt of the Breed. 



In the body of this report we have furnished examples of the 

 improvement which has gradually been taking place in the polled 

 type of cattle for more than half a century. This has been par- 

 ticularly noticeable in the x^^st twenty or twent}'-five years, 

 during which time some of the folds have been brought up to a 

 high standard of perfection, and others are in a fair \\^\ for 

 shortly achieving a creditable position. 



Few points now remain to be noticed. However, we may 

 mention two or three which naturally crop up as we muse upon 

 this favourite type. In the matter of breeding, we are of opinion 

 that niany farmers, who are still content to raise cattle from 

 ordinary stock, might very materially improve their herds by 

 following in the footsteps of the great pioneers who have long ago 

 ])aved the way and made the path smooth and even. By tlie 

 purchase of two or three good females, they would be able, at a 

 coni])aratively small cost, to lay the foundation of a su])erior stock, 

 which by crossing with good bulls, and the exercise of care in the 

 management, would yield a ])rogeny calculated to fatten on a 

 smaller amount of food, and Ix; of more value when linished. 



"With respect to the rearing of calves, some breeders, we observe, 

 allow either too little milk or give it for too short a period — 

 sometimes both. This is jioor — nay, false economy, for 

 the calves become poor and stunted, and never afterwards attain 

 to a large size. " Keep the calf-llesli on," is a maxim which 

 should be deeply engraven on every breeder's heart. As to the 

 matter of allowing the calves to suck their dams, or that of hand- 



