212 THE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 



242. Popularity of Scotch Shorthorns. Undoubtedly 

 the most notable feature of Shorthorn history from 1880 

 to the present time has been the growing popularity of 

 Scotch Shorthorns. Of all the breeders of Scotch Short- 

 horns, Amos Cruickshank is looked on as the most famous. 

 He was an Aberdeenshire tenant farmer, who thought that 

 Shorthorns had been too much pampered for practical 

 use on the tenant farms of Scotland, where climatic condi- 

 tions made it necessary for the farmers to choose a hardy 

 race of cattle. He was a lover of Shorthorns, and de- 

 termined to develop a type that would meet the require- 

 ments of the farmers of Scotland. His ideal was a short- 

 legged, broad, thick-fleshed beast, carrying a good middle ; 

 that is, a well-sprung rib and a thick, fleshy back and 

 loin. He selected animals of this type with which to 

 found his herd, and was so successful that his herd soon 

 became recognized as the foremost one of Scotland. 

 His brother, Anthony, was associated with him. Cruick- 

 shank got a very strong hold on Shorthorn breeders, 

 that remains to this day. To such an extent is this true 

 that one Shorthorn may be two to five times more valu- 

 able than another of equal individual merit, simply be- 

 cause it has a good Scotch pedigree and the other has not. 



Among those who have helped to popularize Scotch 

 Shorthorns in America may be mentioned Colonel W. A. 

 Harris, of Linwood, Kansas, J. J. Hill, of St. Paul, Minne- 

 sota, and Colonel T. S. Moberly, of Richmond, Kentucky. 

 Many other names might be added. 



243. Description. The general form of the Shorthorn 

 is that of the beef type (Plate VI) . The breed is charac- 

 terized by width and depth of form, great scale and sub- 

 stance, and symmetry and style. It is the largest of the 

 beef breeds. The head should be wide between the eyes, 



