

26 A HISTORY OF SHORT-HORN CATTLE. 



modern shows, had begun to attract all the 

 progressive farmers, feeders and graziers of the 

 country-side both far and near. Each of those 

 who took pride in cattle vied with the other in 

 the exhibition of good specimens of the Tees- 

 water type; and we can easily imagine with 

 what absorbing interest these breed-builders 

 compared the relative merits of their stock 

 and with what satisfaction they noted the prog- 

 ress being made. Herd books were not in ex- 

 istence. Blood lines were known only by word 

 of mouth or by sundry traditions; but they 

 were a superior class of men, these pioneers in 

 the study of the Jaws of heredity as applied to 

 animal life, and their local fairs were at once a 

 forum and a market-place. Short-horn "par- 

 liaments," far-reaching in their_ influence, as- 

 sembled upon these occasions, frequently with 

 some favorite bull or heifer as the storm cen- 

 ter of debate. Then, as now, men differed as 

 to the form of animals and methods of breed- 

 ing to be pursued. There were few if any 

 servile imitators. There was no established 

 type or fashion to rule the hour. It was the 

 formative stage in the evolution of the Short- 

 horn as known to the succeeding generation, 

 and each individual sought results largely after 

 the dictates of his own personal judgment. 

 Would that some of this same independence of 

 thought and action might be brought to bear 



