196 NOTES ON FIELDS AND CATTLE. 



to her owner, her produce on good keep attaining to 

 full size, yet clever as the parent, with bone close- 

 grained as ivory, and clean strong foreleg, flat as that 

 of the Arabian ; rare precious points, which many a 

 stud farmer would give much to recover in his stock. 

 When in the improvement of a breed the enter- 

 prising artist decides after consideration upon a cross 

 to be adopted, as was the case with Hubback, picked 

 up grazing as a calf in a lane by the quick eye of a 

 keen judge, it is a long time before he can breed 

 away all objectionable characteristics or points that 

 are likely at first to accompany the aimed-at excel- 

 lence. For instance, the cream white of the Chilling- 

 ham cattle exists yet in the improved shorthorn, and 

 is the foundation of the rich roan, but the dark nose 

 of that sort all the best herds have got rid of, with 

 the rarest exceptions. In the earlier history of this 

 favourite breed it was not uncommon, but soon came 

 into disrepute, as telling a tale of mongrel combina- 

 tion. Owing to its presence, one aristocratic breeder, 

 some years since, sold off all his herd. It is now 

 fatal at once. You may have the dark all around, 

 but not upon the nose. A pretty and desirable 

 effect has a rich brown rim around the muzzle of a 

 light cow. It is frequently found in the best strains ; 

 many, indeed, look for it in a purchase as naturally 

 as the connoisseur does for the light band about the 

 nostril of the fawn-tinted Alderney. 



Amidst the earlier generations of the improved 

 shorthorn there were many black and white spotted, 

 as the Dutch cow which you see in Hyde Park is 

 now. At present, incredulity would attend the pro- 



