876 APPENDIX. 



beyond. In the language of Scotland's bard, "It wad frae 

 mony a blunder free us, and foolish notion." This, then, 

 is the message I would bring to you here to-day the 

 broadening, steadying influence that flows from familiarity 

 with the actual accomplishments of the past. That is 

 the one great point, as I take it, to be gained from a 

 study of Short-horn history. This same idea has recently 

 been well expressed by Mr. Richard Gibson in the fol- 

 lowing language: 



"No one can really expect to derive all the pleasure 

 and satisfaction that is to be found in breeding Short- 

 horns unless conversant with the history of each family 

 of his herd and the breeders thereof. Once becoming in- 

 terested he will read of other families and other breeders, 

 thus enlarging his ideas and broadening his view so that 

 he may be led out of a narrow groove and say 'not Bates 

 nor Booth, nor Cruickshank nor Knightley make Short- 

 horns, but a happy combination of the lot.' " 

 * * * 



The study of Short-horn history enables the breeder to 

 interpret intelligently the pedigrees of his cattle. If he 

 really wants to know what blood is actually in his herd 

 he will have the breeding tabulated. This will spread 

 before his eye a record of the ancestry which will mean 

 much or little to him just in proportion to his knowledge 

 of the history of the breed, Are there animals of note 

 or breeders of distinction revealed by that tabulation? To 

 what tribe or group of tribes do the various animals be- 

 long? Through whose hands have they come? Where does 

 the line of descent pass from Britain to America? What 

 was the character of the cattle contributing the predom- 

 inating blood? These and a hundred other queries must 

 arise in the mind of every intelligent and enterprising man. 

 A knowledge of the history of the breed is therefore of 

 practical every-day service in estimating relative values 

 of pedigrees. This alone should stimulate every buyer and 

 seller to acquire all the information possible from the 

 past records of the breed. There is another incentive to 

 those who seek pleasure as well as profit in Short-horn 



