Rise and Prorjress of Shorthorns, 323 



taken such rare prize heifers by him and " The Provost " (4846) 

 to the Highland Society and other shows. Colonel Cradock 

 liked the sort for their size and milk, and they " nicked " well 

 both with the Booth and the Bates blood. Crossed with " Grand 

 Duke " (10,284), they founded the " Cherry Dukes," and 

 "Duchesses;" and it was to " Mussulman " (4525) that John 

 Booth sent his celebrated "Bracelet," and had "Buckingham" 

 (3239) for his reward. 



The Booth family began at Studley, about 1790, with Tees- 

 waters and "Twin Brother to Ben " (660) ; and lengthening the 

 hind-quarters, filling up the fore-flank, and breeding with a view 

 to that fine deep flesh and constitution which bears any amount 

 of forcing, have been their especial aim. It was the late Mr. 

 Richard Booth's opinion that no bull had done his herd so much 

 good as " Albion " (14), of " the alloy blood," and Mr. Whitaker 

 and Mr. Wetherell were quite with him on the point. It may 

 be said that shorthorns generally have grown smaller in frame, 

 and that there is perhaps not that rich coat and uniformity of 

 character which marked some of the earlier herds ; but still 

 those who can make the comparison from memory are fain to 

 allow that, in their flesh-points and general weights, the breed 

 knows no decay. What the Brothers Colling were in earlier 

 days, the Brothers Booth have been in later. If the elder could 

 boast of " Necklace," with the wondrous crops, and " Bracelet," 

 in whom none could find a fault, save a trifling deficiency in the 

 fore-rib, it was left to the younger to keep up the type with the 

 beautiful " Charity," whose twist and hind-legs might have been 

 modelled from, and to follow it up with " Plum Blossom," 

 " Nectarine Blossom," " Queen of the Ocean," and " Queen of 

 the May." Richard Booth and Crofton might be said to have 

 initiated the modern plan of keeping beasts far more in the 

 house, and preparing them specially with a view to shows. No 

 blood has been more widely spread than that of " Warlaby " and 

 " Killerby " throughout the United Kingdom, or commanded 

 a finer bull-hiring trade ; and it was from " Buttercup," a 

 daughter of " Barmpton Rose," and crossed witli Booth's 

 " Jeweller " (10,354) that " Butterfly " sprang, the chief found- 

 ress, with "Frederick (11,489), of the Towneley herd, whose 

 victories in the store and fat shows combined are wholly without 

 parallel. 



Such are a few of the leading points of the shorthorn history of 

 more than seventy years. Herefordshire has held stoutly by its 

 native breed ; North Devonshire and North Wales are true in 

 the main to their little reds, and their massive runts ; the Polls, 

 the West Highlanders, and the Ayrshires are in possession of 

 many old Scottish strongholds, but still the shorthorns have been 



