SOME HISTORIC KENTUCKY STOCK. 331 



were likely to be produced. Pronounced style, 

 good scale, level lines and great finish were 

 cardinal points with those who were most ac- 

 tive in shaping the course of Short-horn breed- 

 ing in the West at this time. These character- 

 istics were secured and thoroughly established 

 largely through the use of the sons, grandsons, 

 daughters and granddaughters of imp. Duke of 

 Airdrie. Such was the general situation, there- 

 fore, at the time when Illinois and other West- 

 ern States began stocking up largely with Short- 

 horns ; the foundation animals for nearly all of 

 the leading Western herds being secured from 

 Kentucky sources. 



An unbiased and thoroughly capable judge 

 who visited the herds of Kentucky at intervals 

 during this period the late Simon Beattie of 

 Canada and Annan, Scotland called the atten- 

 tion of the breeders of that State to the fact 

 that while they were securing a marked uni- 

 formity, fine heads, a beautiful finish and gay 

 carriage by this system of close breeding, they 

 were at the same time sacrificing heavy flesh, 

 substance and hair, and " working their cattle 

 toward a leggy type, thin about their rumps, 

 thighs and hind quarters." In rebuttal of this 

 criticism Mr. Alexander's Mazurkas were cited 

 as a family that had escaped those defects, but 

 the fact was promptly pointed out by Mr. Beat- 

 tie that imp. Mazurka w r as by Mr. Booth's Har- 



