THE OLD SHORT-HORN COUNTRY. 17 



nently practical pursuit, and in the Short-horn 

 breed of cattle has given to the world a vari- 

 ety of farm stock that has probably been more 

 widely distributed than any other known type. 

 It has not only received by reason of its dual- 

 purpose character more attention at the hands 

 of the tenant farmers and landed proprietors 

 of Great Britain and Ireland than any other 

 British breed, but has a firm hold upon the affec- 

 tions of the farmers of the United States and 

 Canada under varying environments. It has 

 been extensively introduced into Australia and 

 Argentina and has a foothold in the grazing 

 regions about the South African Cape. Conti- 

 nental Europe with all its conservatism has 

 drawn frequently upon British Short-horn 

 herds France in particular maintaining good 

 collections of registered stock. It has peculiar 

 claims, therefore, to the title sometimes be- 

 stowed upon it as being " the one great cosmo- 

 politan breed." 



Birthplace and origin of the breed. The 

 Short-horn or "Durham" as formerly called 

 by many farmers in the United States is of 

 composite origin, representing the result of 

 generations of skillful blending of various ab- 

 original types. While its long period of incu- 

 bation is shrouded in more or less uncertainty 

 there is no question either as to its original 

 habitat or its ancient lineage. Traditions, as 



