6 Report upon the Agricultwal Features 



quality I cannot say. The weight of bulls at three years old of this breed 

 would be between 25 to 30 cwt. live weight. 



" I also purchased four pure-bred Merino ewes, which I think of crossing 

 with my Long-wool breed. One of the ewes has lambed down about three 

 weeks since, having twins — one ram lamb and one ewe lamb. The other 

 three have been tupped from my Long-wool class, which will improve the 

 quality of my wool, losing but slightly the length of staple." 



Shorthorns and Shorthorn crosses having especial interest for 

 the English farmer, it seems advisable to deviate here from the 

 plan of treating the cattle of each country in the order of the 

 catalogue, and to make a few^ remarks on our dominant race as it 

 appears, after it has been for a time in foreign hands and exposed 

 to new climatic conditions. 



Comparatively few Shorthorns and Shorthorn crosses were to 

 be seen in Vienna, and in this respect tlie Exhibition faithfully 

 represented the state of the country subsequently passed through. 



Most prominent among the promoters of this breed is the 

 Archduke Albrecht, the owner of vast estates both in Upper and 

 Lower Hungary. I subsequently visited these estates, and 

 learnt that the first Shorthorns imported suffered from lung 

 disease, although later purchases had been more fortunate. Also 

 that the race was not spreading into the surrounding country 

 from the centres where the Archduke had established them. 

 The Archduke exhibited four pure-bred Shorthorn bulls, all 

 bred in Hungary ; three cross-bred Shorthorn-Dutch bulls ; two 

 cows, two calves, and four fat calves similarly bred ; two fat 

 oxen, the result of a cross between Bernese cattle and Short- 

 horns, and a fine collection of fat cows, calves, and oxen de- 

 scribed as Shorthorn crosses. The Shorthorn bulls were all 

 smoother in the coat than English-bred cattle usually are, and 

 since this is a characteristic of all the South European races, it 

 may be regarded as a tendency to alteration from changed 

 climatic conditions. It was, however, in the Shorthorn crosses 

 that the Archduke's success, as a breeder and improver of stock, 

 was rendered most evident. Take as an example his bull No. 726 

 in the catalogue, by a Shorthorn bull, and from a Dutch cow. 

 This animal was in colour red and white, and in form, despite a 

 little lowness in the chine, very excellent. After inspecting a 

 large number of similarly bred animals on the estate Bellye, 

 in Lower Hungary, I can speak to the very handsome appear- 

 ance, good quality, and good milking properties of these animals. 

 It is premature to speak of them as an established race, but as a 

 cross they are worthy of the highest commendation. These 

 animals are red and white, black and white, and almost black. 



Neither must I neglect to mention a lot of five very splendid 

 cows described as Shorthorn crosses, and numbered in the 



