50 PROMINENT SHORTHORN BREEDERS. 



at that early date, though in later years some breeders re- 

 vived this and undertook to make some capital out of it by 

 endeavoring to discredit animals that presented any tinge of 

 this alloy. 



A large part of the success of the Colling Brothers was 

 undoubtedly due to the fact that they were very energetic 

 and advertised their breed very widely. They did this in 

 every possible way, and especially by fitting animals to a 

 high condition and exhibiting them throughout the country. 

 Two of the most noted animals shown in this way were the 

 Durham Ox and the White Heifer that Traveled. 



In 1810 Charles Colling closed out, receiving high prices 

 for all of his stock. His brother Robert continued breeding 

 until 1820, when he also sold out very successfully. The 

 work done by the Colling Brothers deserved special attention, 

 for upon their farms of Kelton and Brampton, in Yorkshire, 

 the modern Shorthorn virtually received its beginning, and 

 the influence of these energetic men paved the way for many 

 other improvers. 



Contemporary with the Colling Brothers were many other 

 breeders who did much towards the improvement of the 

 breed. Of the men who followed them, many in number, 

 those who deserve special mention were Thos. Bates, Thos. 

 Booth, Sr., Earl Spencer, Jonas Whittaker, and Christopher 

 Mason. These men should have a leading rank among the 

 breeders of this day, and Thos. Bates and Thos. Booth were 

 easily the leaders of all. The elder Booth began his work in 

 1790. He had studied the methods of Bakewell and had re- 

 cently observed the success of the Colling Brothers, and had 

 come to the conclusion that the policy of careful selection 

 and inbreeding pursued by them was the right one. He 

 seems to have had considerable independence of character, 

 for he did not go to the Colling herd for all of his stock. He 

 considered it sufficient to select good cows in his own imme- 

 diate neighborhood and to resort to the Colling herd only 

 for the purpose of securing sires to place at the head of his 

 herd. His one aim from the very beginning was to produce 

 deep-bodied, heavy, deep-fleshed animals of superior beef 

 form and quality, and he bred to this aim with commendable 

 perseverance and success, disregarding milking qualities 

 entirely. He was a good judge, careful in selection, and sue- 



