JUDGING LIVE STOCK. 97 



home-loving, and had little to do with those of Norfolk, who 

 were chiefly of Danish or Norse origin. The land of Suffolk 

 is richer than that of Norfolk, and the differences mentioned 

 served to tend to the development of entirely different breeds. 



The cattle in Suffolk in 1792 (our first written records) 

 are described as being "universally polled," and the tradi- 

 tions handed down at that time by the oldest inhabitants 

 indicate that such had been the character of the breed for 

 at least one hundred years previous. Suffolk was from the 

 earliest times a dairy district; in 1732 written accounts 

 speak of the excellent butter and cheese made there; and 

 it has remained as a dairy district ever since. From such 

 comments as can be gleaned from the earlier writers, it is 

 evident that in addition 'to being polled, the cattle of this 

 district were rather large, and inclined to be somewhat coarse 

 and loosely put together; but their dairy qualities were most 

 excellent. 



Whence these polled animals came we know not; but there 

 seems to be good reason to believe that they were the de- 

 scndants of some of the polled cattle found on the continent 

 in early times. These had probably acquired the polled 

 character in the same manner as the Galloway and Aberdeen 

 Angus; but this is a matter of little importance. 



Some of the Suffolk polled cattle were gradually working 

 their way into Norfolk, but the leading farmers there desired 

 to unite the polled character and milking qualities of the 

 Suffolk cow to the beef form, fleshing properties, and early 

 maturing properties of the Norfolk clean-limbed cattle. 



The earlier results of such crossing do not appear to have 

 been looked upon with favor by such good judges as Mar- 

 shall. Some of the Norfolk farmers began to introduce the 

 Devons, but Jonas Reeve of Wighton, and his neighbor, 

 Richard England of Norfolk, did not consider the Devons 

 well adapted to the poor soils and unfavorable environments 

 of Norfolk and resolutely pursued their attempt to combine, 

 by crossing, the good characteristics of the Norfolk and Suf- 

 folk breeds. No data is at hand as to the exact course pur- 

 sued; but it is known that they worked for years ere suc- 

 ceeding. In 1808, they were able to exhibit a bull which ap- 

 proached the type they were seeking; and in 1810 they ex- 

 hibited a bull and two-year-old heifer that captivated all who 



