578 A HISTORY OF SHORT-HORN CATTLE. 



than in the extremities. Vitality and feeding 

 quality were with Amos Cruickshank consid- 

 erations paramount. A broad, full chest, wide 

 back and deep ribs were his all-in-all. The 

 head had attention only as it gave some token 

 as to the vigor or probable capacity of the ani- 

 mal for feed-lot or reproductive purposes. The 

 rump carried cheap meat and was, in his view, 

 of wholly secondary importance. Level quar- 

 ters and fine fronts he fully appreciated, but if 

 the "middle" was weak the fault with him was 

 fatal. While not opposed to "finish," and fully 

 sensible of the value of "style/ 7 he took the 

 ground that, from the tenant-farmer's view- 

 point, if other and more vital qualifications 

 were wanting the Short-horn could not hope 

 to withstand the ordeals of the climate of 

 North Scotland or satisfy the close calculations 

 of feeders who wrested their forage from an 

 unwilling soil. 



As for pedigree he had originally imbibed 

 something of the same contempt felt by Ren- 

 nie of Phantassie and Robertson of Ladykirk. 

 When in quest of stock to suit his purpose his 

 mind was an open book so far as the great 

 rival strains of blood were concerned. The 

 names of Bates, Booth, Towneley, or Torr 

 moved him to no expression of mere sentimen- 

 tal regard for the stock of the English leaders. 

 He listened with comparative indifference to 



