RINGMASTER, GRAND CHAMPION SHORTHORN BL LL, 1913 



The Shorthorn is a breed with wide limits; it takes in a number of different colors and types 

 which in other branches of the animal industry would be considered distinct breeds. But 

 when it comes to lack of horns, the Shorthorn breeders draw the line, as the next illustra- 

 tion shows. (Fig. 1.) 



degree of kinship in "blood," but which 

 are now, and for the past sixty years 

 have been, recognized as distinct breeds. 

 The two breeds referred to are the 

 English Leicester and the Border Lei- 

 cester. They dififer from each other in 

 size, ancestry (the Border Leicester 

 having received some characters from 

 the Cheviot breed), general activity, 

 fecundity, and manner of wooling, to 

 an unmistakable extent. Both the 

 Scotch Highland Society and the Eng- 

 lish Agricultural Society provide sepa- 

 rate classes and awards for them at the 

 agricultural shows, and there are two 

 distinct registration associations, each 

 of which maintains a flock book for 

 its own breed. In America, however, 

 we speak only of the Leicester breed of 

 sheep. The two sorts are shown to- 

 gether at fairs, often freely crossed, and 

 are registered in the same flock book. 

 They arc here sim]ily regarded as difl^cr- 

 ent "families" of the Leicester breed. 



There is no fixed, commonly accei)ted 

 degree of diff'erence which serves to 

 typify and separate the breeds. This 

 532 



can be illustrated b}' citing cases of the 

 two extremes. First, types which differ 

 widely between themselves may be 

 included within the boundaries of a 

 single breed. 



Poland China breeders recognize the 

 distinct varieties which they speak of as 

 the "large type" and ".small type." The 

 differences between the two are constant, 

 deep-seated, and striking, but the mem- 

 bers of both types are all of the un- 

 divided Poland China breed. A similar 

 "dimorphic" condition exists within the 

 limits of the Jersey breed of cattle. 



But perhaps the most striking ca.sc of 

 this sort is furnished by the Shorthorn 

 breed of cattle. The Milking Short- 

 horn is ])rofoundly difl"erent from th(^ 

 strictly Scotch-bred beef animal. The 

 difference between these two types in- 

 volves, besides three jxossible color 

 factors, ])ronounced and easily recog- 

 nized peculiarities of shape and also of 

 fimction. Furthermore, these two types 

 usually differ clearly from each other in 

 ancestry. The i)edigree of the typical 

 Milking Shorthorn will generally trace 



