CATTLE 



19 



speaking, deeper than in the other, being reds and 

 rich roans. The Booth cattle are wider, deeper, and 

 perhaps less pretty. Their shoulders are more laid 

 Mftk, their toreribs and Hanks deeper and better 

 filled. They are more a beef than a milk breed, 

 with well-packed quarters and thick loins. The 

 -M. - remind <>nc more of a fat Smithfield ox, and 

 they move without that courage and dash so 

 peculiar to the "Duke's" and other highly valued 

 strains of the Bates tribes." But while these are 

 the two great divisions of the breed, there are a 

 great many excellent shorthorns of mixed breeding 

 which do not show any decided leaning either to 

 the one or the other. The prevailing colour of 

 shorthorns is roan of varying shades, but many are 

 red, and some white. Tnere is a dislike to reel and 

 white in distinct soots as a colour, and quite an 

 unreasonable objection to white. 



In precocity, production of meat, and general 

 utility, the shorthorn is unsurpassed. Other varieties 

 may excel it in special points for peculiar purposes 

 or in certain limited districts, but for a combination 

 of all the more useful properties of domestic cattle 

 and adaptability to varying conditions of soil and 

 climate, there is no equal to the shorthorn. The 

 facility with which the shorthorn adapts itself to 

 changes of soil, climate, and treatment is quite 

 remarkable, and this combined with the valuable 

 property which it also possesses in an unequalled 

 degree suitability for crossing with and improving 

 other and inferior classes of cattle has spread the 

 improved shorthorn far and wide, not only in its 

 own native land, but in countries beyond the seas. 

 In North and South America, the continent of 

 Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and other parts, 

 the shorthorn has been extensively introduced^ In 

 all these countries, as at home, it has been one of 

 the most active and effective agents in improving 

 the native races of cattle and in increasing the pro- 

 duction of high -class beef. Many breeders of short- 

 horn cattle have cultivated the fattening to the 

 detriment of the milking properties. Still, while it 

 is quite common to meet with a very light milker 

 amongst shorthorn cows, there is a large section of 

 the breed which possesses dairying properties of the 

 highest order. Good shorthorn cows give from 700 

 to 1000 gallons of milk in twelve months. At the 

 London Christmas Fat Stock Show in December 

 1887 the class of shorthorn steers under two years 

 old (averaging 672 days) gave an average live- 

 weight of 1396 Ib. ; steers over two and under 

 three years of age (averaging 988 days), 1870 Ib. ; 

 and steers over three years old (averaging 1321 

 days), 21161b. each. 



Hereford cattle display strongly fixed and pecu- 

 liarly distinctive characteristics both in outward 

 features and general attributes. The improved 

 breed traces directly from the stock of cattle 

 which were found by the earliest writers on agri- 

 cultural topics existing in the county of Here- 

 ford and adjoining districts the same aboriginal 

 variety from which have descended the Devon 

 and Sussex breeds. The improvement of the 

 Hereford would seem to have been begun by the 

 Tom kins family far back in the 18th century, and 

 was taken up in a systematic manner by Benjamin 

 Tom kins about 1766, and carried on by him with 

 much energy and success until his death in 1815. 

 His herd was continued by his daughters till 1819 

 (one year later than the Barmpton sale of short- 

 horns), when it was dispersed by public auction. 

 Twenty-eight breeding animals realised an average 

 of 149 per head ; four adult bulls having brought as 

 much as 267, 15s. each ; and two bull-calves 181, 

 2s. 6d. each. From that time the fortunes of the 

 breed fell into other hands, and never for a moment 

 have the Hereford stock-owners wavered in their 

 loyalty to their fine old breed of cattle. There is 



little doubt that infusions of foreign blood con- 

 tributed to some extent to the building up of the 

 modern Hereford. In the 17th century cattle had 

 been imported into Hereford from Flanders by 

 Lord Scudamore, and in later times there had been 

 introductions of stock from various part- of 

 England and Wales. The dominant ingredient, 

 however, is the aboriginal race of the county, and 

 selection in breeding and careful management have 

 been the principal agencies by which the breed has 

 been brought to the high standard it has now 

 attained. The modern typical Hereford is red in 

 colour, with white face and white marks in the top 



Fig. 2. Hereford Bull and Cow. 



line of the neck, back over the crops, as well as in 

 the chest and bottom line all the way backwards. 

 The ' white face ' is indeed the ' tribal badge ' of 

 the Hereford, and with their wide and graceful 

 horns they are singularly handsome in outward 

 appearance. Formerly there were gray-faced or 

 spotted Herefords ; and even yet there is in exist- 

 ence a strain of Herefords known as ' smoky-faced 

 Montgomeries.' The Herefords are similar in size 

 to the shorthorn ; usually broad along the back 

 and heavily fleshed, but occasionally light in the 

 thighs and deficient in internal fat. Their highest 

 property lies in their value as grazing cattle ; and 

 this has led to the extensive employment of 

 Hereford bulls in breeding cattle for the rolling 

 prairie-ranches of the western states of America. 

 They are hardy cattle, with a rank coat of hair 

 and thick mellow hide, and they are excellent 

 ' foragers ' all points of special importance in 

 ranche cattle. It is pre-eminently a beef-produc- 

 ing breed ; matures early and yields meat of 

 the finest quality. As a rule the cows are deficient 

 as milkers, for this property has never been 

 cultivated as it ought to have been. The average 

 live- weight of two-year-old Hereford steers ( averag- 

 ing 634 days ) at the London Christmas Fat Stock 

 Show in December 1887 was 1390 Ib. ; of steers 

 over and under three years (averaging 938 days), 

 1742 Ib. ; and of steers over three years (averaging 

 1310 days), 2041 Ib. There are a few excellent 

 herds of Herefords in Ireland, and they have been 

 exported in large numbers to foreign countries, 

 notably North and South America, Australia, and 

 New Zealand. 



Devon cattle are deep red in colour, and have 

 frequently a white spot on the belly just in front of 

 the udder, with wide round loins, smaller in size 

 than the two breeds just mentioned. It is noted 

 for the almost perfect formation of the shoulder, 

 which is laid into the body with remarkable 

 neatness. The breed has still its headquarters 

 in Devon and Somerset, where it has held undis- 

 puted sway for hundreds of years. It won the 

 admiration of Arthur Young, who gives interesting 

 information regarding the breed in nis report dated 

 1776. Here also there was one 'master mind' at 

 work on the improvement of the breed. Mr 

 Quartly of Molland is described by Young as the 

 most celebrated of breeders in North Devon ; and 

 the greatest of our early writers on agriculture 

 gives a most minute account of the scheme of 



