846 A HISTORY OF SHORT-HORN CATTLE. 



My opinion is that Mr. Cruickshank was right when he de- 

 cided that violent crosses on his cattle should be avoided. What 

 I mean by that is to take an exactly opposite type or style of pedi- 

 gree, the result of which is not ordinarily uniform mixing. Mr. 

 Cruickshank's theory was that to keep up the robustness of his 

 cattle and to give them additional strength of character an occa- 

 sional cow of somewhat different breeding should be used upon 

 which to cross one of his own bulls with the view of securing a 

 bull of somewhat different blood. If such outcross is to be re- 

 sorted to it should not be one of mere pedigree, but the animal 

 chosen should be sound and of robust constitution and having sim- 

 ilar characteristics to the Cruickshank cattle as developed by 

 their former proprietor. Further, it should be borne in mind that 

 Mr. Cruickshank's idea was not to produce fine-looking animals 

 when they were matured at from four to six years of age, but to 

 produce such animals as would mature if necessary at from one to 

 two and a half years. I notice that a good many show animals 

 which are talked about a great deal belong to the former class, 

 and while they are fine animals when at their maturity, they do 

 not at all possess the characteristics that Mr. Cruickshank sought 

 in his herd. 



We have at the present day altogether too many imitators 

 among breeders of cattle. It seems to be the proper thing to pur- 

 sue the principle that is followed in a millinery shop, and every- 

 body tries to follow in the same line. They do not all succeed, 

 but because this color or that or this form or the other is fashion- 

 able nothing else will do on any account. Now it is a very easy 

 thing to follow fashion in pedigree, but a confessedly difficult 

 thing to do what all the great cattle-breeders of the past have 

 done, and produce not merely a pedigree but animals having 

 special characteristics and the power to give these to their de- 

 scendants. 



Mr. Cruickshank never followed fashion either in pedigree or 

 upon any other point, but had his own sound common sense to 

 guide him. He knew what he wanted and he knew it when he 

 saw it, the result being that when he found among his own calves 

 the bull Champion of England he said to himself, without con- 

 sulting anyone else, "That is what I am seeking for, and I shall 

 at once be bold enough to use him." We all know the result. If 

 his brother, who was always inclined to follow fashion, had been 

 consulted Champion of England would never have been used, 

 and Mr. E. Cruickshank has often told me that if Amos had fol- 

 lowed his own judgment on previous occasions he would have 



