THE LAMP OF EXPERIENCE. 847 



used one or two bulls at an earlier date which would likely have 

 accomplished equally good results. The same thing may be said 

 of Bates and Booth. They followed their own judgment until we 

 find that all the world decided subsequently that their judgment 

 was right and they became leaders of fashion. 



Those who notice the cattle sales of Great Britain will 'have 

 observed that most breeders there have judgments of their own. 

 I have often referred to this point in this country before and 

 have suggested that it would be a great blessing for our country 

 generally if our breeders had more definite convictions of their 

 own, with definite ideas of what they wanted to accomplish, and 

 worked along that line. 



My opinion therefore is that if our Cruickshank breeders un- 

 dertake to follow pedigree merely and stick to the color craze of 

 red, the cattle are doomed ; it is only a matter of time, and I con- 

 gratulate you upon the stand you have taken in this matter- 

 These little points as to the shape of the horn and the exact color 

 of the skin are really of no consequence when it comes to the use- 

 ful qualities of the animal. We all like to see these things and 

 they give added value to an animal, but a good animal should not 

 be thrown away simply because one horn turns a little too much 

 back, or otherwise. 



As to the present situation in England in 

 reference to the Scotch cross, the following let- 

 ter to the author from one of Britain's oldest 

 and most conservative students of Short-horn 

 breeding, Mr. William Housman of Prospect 

 House, Distington, Cumberland, sounds a note 

 that is worth heeding : 



Our breeders, as you must have observed, are very much at 

 variance in opinion upon the Scotch cross question. I think 

 myself the term " Cruickshank blood," as commonly used, is too 

 narrow and too shallow, neither stretching far enough to comprise 

 the useful Scotch strains from outside Sittyton sources nor going 

 deep enough to include old Scotch blood derived from herds long 

 extinct, yet still in various measures influential. Yet Cruick- 

 shank is justly regarded as a great name in Short-horn history. 



For all that I do not care for the heavings of the crowd to and 

 fro. " Booms," you in America call the din raised one day about 



