THE THREE LEADING BREEDS OF BEEF CATTLE 



W. I). Zixx 



Farmers' Institute Lecturer 



Ask a dairvman to name the leadiiiii' dairv breeds and lie will 

 intuitively answer, " Jerseys, Holsteins, Guernseys and Ayr- 

 shires." You may also ask any experienced producer of beef 

 cattle to name the principal beef breeds and he will very positively 

 assort that there are but three breeds of very great importance; 

 namely, Shorthorns, Herefords and Angus. 



It is the object of the writer to deal principally with the merits 

 and demerits of these three breeds. In so doing, he is not un- 

 mindful of the fact that there are still other breeds that have some 

 good qualities, — the Galloways, Tied Polls, Brown Swiss, Polled 

 Durhams and Devons. 



SIIOTJTTTORXS 



Shorthorns are so-called from the character of their bonis. 

 They are sometimes called Durhams because they originated in 

 Durham County, England. Many centuries ago, there existed in 

 the counties of Durham and Yorkshire and especially in the val- 

 ley of River Tees, a type of large catth^ which were the ancestors 

 of the Shorthoni breed. There were two strains of these cattle 

 called Teeswater and Iloldcrness, but they have long since been 

 blended. 



Among the Shorthorns of today there occasionally is found 

 what is called a Teeswater animal, that is an animal with very 

 peculiar hindquarters and rounding in the rear. Their meat is 

 said to contain less fat and to bo somewhat coarsci-. These are 

 found only among the Shorthorns, and it is dne to the fact that 

 more than two hundred years ago they were bred up fi'oiu this 

 breed. It only shows the prepotency of that breed. The following 

 includes some of the early breedei-s of Shorthorns: Colling Hrothers 

 of Ketton, who began their work in 1 TSO. At the dispersion sale of 

 these brothers in ISIO, many good animals were scattered over 

 the country which greatly improved the cattle of that section. 

 Thomas Bates commenced lireeding Shorthorns at Kirkleviugton 



[17G4] 



