214 THE BREEDS OF LIVE-STOCK 



fusion of the blood of the low-set, short-legged Scotch 

 type, this tendency has been largely done away with. 



The color of the Shorthorn is more variable than that 

 of any other breed of cattle. It may be pure red, pure 

 white, a mixture of these two colors, or roan. Roan is 

 distinctively a Shorthorn color and may always be re- 

 garded as an indication of Shorthorn blood. Red and 

 white were always characteristic colors of the old Short- 

 horn breed in England, but after their introduction into 

 the United States, white became unpopular, especially 

 on the western ranges, and anything except a solid red 

 color was greatly discriminated against. The demand for 

 red cattle became greater than the supply of good individ- 

 uals, and sires of very ordinary character were used for 

 no other reason than that they were red, while excellent 

 individuals of the lighter colors were rejected. Good 

 sense and sound judgment finally prevailed in the matter, 

 and the red color craze has abated so that whites and roans 

 have again come into popularity. 



244. Uses for milk. -. The Shorthorn ranks high in its 

 dairy capacity. In England there have always been 

 families or strains, notably those of Bates breeding, which 

 have been noted for their milking capacity, and in England 

 to-day the dairy qualities of the Shorthorn receive as 

 much consideration as its beef-producing qualities. It 

 is asserted that 90 per cent of the milk-supply of London 

 is furnished by Shorthorns. In America, more attention 

 has been paid to the beef side of the question, and the dairy 

 qualities have been somewhat neglected, especially during 

 the past craze for the thick-fleshed, blocky Scotch type, 

 which were poor milkers. At present, however, more 

 attention is being paid to the milking qualities in an effort 

 to develop milking strains of Shorthorns (Plate VII). 



