LECTURE XXIII. 



RED POLLED CATTLE. 



Origin, History and Development in Great Britain. 



The origin of this breed is unusually interesting, in that 

 it shows the results obtainable by skilful crossing, and breed- 

 ing for a definite end. 



Norfolk is a district in eastern England, and lies along 

 the sea shore. The land is comparatively poor, and not 

 adapted to the maintenance of the large breeds of cattle. 

 The first authentic records we have of agricultural condi- 

 tions here, date to the close of the eighteenth century, when 

 John Marshall, in describing the cattle of Norfolk, states 

 that they were a small, hardy, thriving race, and that they 

 were "the Herefordshire breed in miniature." The favorite 

 color was blood red, with a white or mottled face. They 

 were clean-horned, fine-limbed cattle, and Marshall states 

 that they fattened as freely and finished as highly at three 

 years old as cattle generally did at four or five. He makes 

 no mention of their milking qualities, and it is just to con- 

 clude that these were poor, for he was a very close observer. 

 His statements leave no doubt but that he believed that only 

 care and selection was needed to make these clean-limbed, 

 blood red cattle, prime beef animals. 



The district of Suffolk lies more inland than Norfolk, and 

 is separated from it by marshes; the population of Suffolk 

 consisted of the Angles from the continent, who brought 

 their household goods, agricultural implements, and cattle 

 with them when they came to England. These people were 



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