DEVELOPMENT OF THE IMPROVED TYPE. 27 



in the settlement of problems facing those 

 who are endeavoring to perpetuate Short-horn 

 characteristics at the present time! 



Faults of the old Teeswater stock. The 

 Short-horn of that day was not only lacking in 

 uniformity in some essential points but as a 

 breed possessed serious faults calling for radi- 

 cal treatment. Possibly as accurate a state- 

 ment as has been handed down bearing upon 

 the character of the old Teeswater stock, which 

 formed the basis of "the improved Short-horn," 

 is that of William Carr, the historian of the 

 afterward-celebrated herds of the Messrs. 

 Booth. He says that the best specimens of 

 the breed at that time were " generally wide- 

 backed, well-framed cows, deep in their fore 

 quarters, soft and mellow in their hair and 

 ' handling ' and possessing, with average milk- 

 ing qualities, a remarkable disposition to fat- 

 ten. Their horns were rather longer than 

 those of their descendants of the present day 

 and inclining upward. The defects were those 

 of an undue prominence of the hip and shoul- 

 der point, a want of length in the hind quar- 

 ters, of width in the floor of the chest, of 

 fullness generally before and behind the shoul- 

 ders, as well as of flesh upon the shoulder 

 itself. They had a somewhat disproportionate 

 abdomen, were too long in the legs and showed 

 a want of substance, indicative of delicacy, in 



