CHAPTER IV 

 SHORTHORNS continued 



Introduction of Shorthorns into Scotland Early Breeders Amos 

 Cruickshank Families of Sittyton Shorthorns Famous Bulls used 

 Sittyton Sales Other Early Scotch Breeders The Herds of Mar 

 and Duthie Commingling of Cruickshank Blood with that of Booth 

 and of Bates Average Prices at Auction Sales Shorthorn Herd 

 Book Differences The Dairy Shorthorn (Coates' Herd Book) 

 Association Milk Records of Shorthorn Herds List of Prominent 

 Shorthorn Breeders Dexter-Shorthorns Lincoln-Red Shorthorns 

 Burton Milk Records The Non-Pedigree Shorthorn The Polled 

 Durham in America. 



LOW says of the introduction of improved Shorthorns, 

 Holsteins or Teeswaters, into Scotland early in the 

 nineteenth century : 



" This highly cultivated breed extended from the district 

 of the Tees, as from a centre, as soon as its value became 

 known. It quickly spread northwards all through Durham 

 and Northumberland into the valley of the Tweed, and, in 

 later years, it had extended northward through the eastern 

 lowlands of Scotland to the Pentland Firth." 



The introduction was carried out by two men, who were 

 contemporaries and intimates of the Collings and other early 

 breeders of repute. The first was Robertson of Ladykirk, 

 Coldstream, Berwickshire ; and following him, came John 

 Rennie of Phantassie, in East Lothian. Rennie contracted 

 an interest in and knowledge of Shorthorns as a farm pupil in 

 Berwickshire, and bought his first cattle from Robertson. 

 The foundation stock of both herds was carefully selected on 

 their individual merits from the country cattle, reared in the 

 original home of the Shorthorn, and mated with bulls got 

 from the Collings and other progressive breeders. Neither 

 would record pedigrees in the Herd Book, holding that 

 registration would restrict the choice of breeders to a limited 

 number of animals and put a ban upon an immense number 

 of good cattle. The soundness of judgment of these pioneers 

 is not yet fully realised, although, during subsequent times of 



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