410 Report on the Ac/riculture of Cumberland, 



neous food in the shape of cake or corn, many of the pastures in 

 Cumberland would finish off animals fit for either a Birmingham 

 or a Smithfield market. 



Notwithstanding, however, that Shorthorns are gradually dis- 

 placing both other distinctive breeds and mongrel varieties as 

 permanent stock, yet, anomalous as it may appear, a very small 

 proportion of the beef which is annually grown in Cumberland 

 is produced either directly from the Shorthorn or from the 

 crosses which are here and there common. This is accounted 

 for by the fact that a great demand exists in Cumberland for 

 both steers and heifers to graze upon the fine pastures of York- 

 shire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and other counties along the eastern 

 coast, — many of which are taken into Scotland to finish. And 

 so in the spring of the year, or sometimes as early as the 

 month of February, every nook and corner of the county is 

 scoured by jobbers in search of grazing descriptions to supply 

 the demand ; thus the ever-faithful districts are robbed of many 

 of the choicest animals before the spring sales. The remainder, 

 along with the outwields, are sent to the fairs at Carlisle, the 

 April fair at Penrith, or the May fairs at Cockermouth, at all of 

 which a good stroke of business is usually done. In some parts 

 of Cumberland, notably in the " wild regions " of the north and 

 north-east, a few mixed stocks of the black Galloway breed of 

 cattle are to be found, but they are gradually being displaced by 

 the favourite Shorthorn, and the existing black cattle may now 

 be looked upon as the stragglers of a vanishing race. So far as 

 I have been able to make out, only one herd of the ancient 

 breed of Longhorns now exists in the county. 



The home-bred cattle which are destined to become " food for 

 the people," are chiefly those which have been kept for dairy and 

 breeding purposes, and are fed off at six to eight, or even as much 

 as twelve to fifteen years old, when they have become no longer 

 serviceable in the sphere they had hitherto occupied. A few, 

 certainly, are prepared annually for the Christmas fat shows held 

 at Carlisle, Penrith, and Cockermouth, but they are few indeed, 

 when compared with the weekly consignments of other kinds. 

 The chief sources whence the Cumberland grazier obtains his 

 lean stock are the largfe droves of Irish cattle which are shown 

 upon the market stances. A few years ago, Irish cattle were 

 imported chiefly in the spring and autumn months ; but now they 

 may be had at almost any time, at prices varying from a five- 

 pound note to three times the money. The supply seems to be 

 almost inexhaustible, and farmers sometimes wonder where lean 

 stock could be found to stock the pastures were the Irish cattle 

 suddenly to fail. In ordinary seasons the grass lands are stocked 

 in the beginning of May, or, in fine seasons, in the early part of 



