AS DAIRY CATTLE 109 



striking difference. It would seem that the Longhorn in- 

 herited its horn development from the Bos primigenius, 

 through its more immediate ancestors the wild forest cattle, as 

 represented in the Chartley Park breed probably from a 

 variety with exceptionally long horns. The position becomes 

 more interesting in view of Low's emphatic pronouncement 

 that " the Wild White Forest breed, though reared for ages 

 in parks in the West of England and Scotland, never assumes 

 the character of the Long-horned race." The Shorthorn, on the 

 other hand, no doubt derived its characteristic form of horn 

 from its imported European ancestors. 



The Longhorn does not stand attempts at improvement 

 by crossing. Its peculiar characteristics will not admit of 

 assimilation with other breeds, but it is calculated to " form 

 a heavy hybrid : for example, the Earl of Radnor's cross-bred 

 heifer, Longhorn- Hereford, at Smithfield in 1847 ; at two years 

 eight months it got the gold medal as the best cow or heifer 

 of any breed in the yard, being the youngest animal that 

 obtained the gold medal for a term of over fifty years." 



In recent times " the breed has been in great demand 

 for crossing with the Shorthorn, Aberdeen Angus, North 

 Devon, and Jersey." The female crosses prove to be good 

 milkers, while the steers attain heavy weights of prime beef. 

 At the Dublin Christmas Show in December 1903, Longhorn 

 steers were reserved for first place in competition with Angus, 

 Shorthorn, and Hereford rivals ; and the previous year they 

 got the second prize in a very strong class." Whatever may 

 have been the character of the beef of the Longhorn breed in 

 Bakewell's time, both butchers and consumers now agree 

 that the quality is excellent. 



As dairy cattle, they frequently produce from 14 Ibs. up 

 to 17 and 1 8 Ibs. of butter per week on ordinary pasture. 

 Good cows will give on an average about eight quarts of milk 

 twice daily. Greater attention is now paid to them owing 

 to the relatively higher prices given for milking cows, 

 especially for cheese dairies, than for butchers' beasts. They 

 produce more cream and curd from a given amount of milk 

 than a Shorthorn ; and all classes of them, except calves and 

 cows in full milk, do better if kept in the fields all winter 

 than in byres or sheds, and they cost less to winter than 

 housed cattle. 



