408 REPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



grees recorded in the American Shorthorn Herd-Book, about 40,000 

 of these having been recorded within the last five years A much 

 larger number of pure-bred or "high-grade" bulls of the breed have 

 been used without public record of the pedigree. Much attention 

 was formerly given to breeding thoroughbred Shorthorns in the 

 more eastern States, but now the la'rgest number of herds are to be 

 found in the group of seven States previously named, and in Ken- 

 tucky, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The large size, early 

 maturity, fine beef form, good feeding qxiality, quiet disposition, and 

 attractive colors of this breed, together with a good degree of merit 

 as dairy cattle, when attention is paid to the development of the 

 milk-giving habit, have admirably adapted this breed for much of 

 the chief beef-making region of tne country. It has suffered from 

 over-attention to certain fashions in breeding, as undue estimate of 

 the red color, and over-appreciation of the value of certain families, 

 with absurd under-appreciation of other families, but the good it 

 has done has been incalculable, and it retains a first place in the esti- 

 mate of a large number of the best beef -producers of the country. 



The second in number of the breeds best adapted for beef-making 

 is the Hereford. Although imported to the country more than sixty 

 years ago, this breed attracted little general attention until within 

 the last fifteen years, although it has always had a few enthusiastic 

 admirers. Owing, in a large part, to the skillful and persistent efforts 

 of a few breeders, the Heref ords with remarkable rapidity became 

 a popular breed over nearly all the region in which the Snorthorns 

 had long been without a serious rival. Men of wealth, enterprise, 

 and intelligence interested themselves in the breed ; hundreds of ani- 

 mals were imported in each of several successive years. They were 

 well shown at the leading agricultural and fat-stock shows, and met 

 with much favor. Nearly equaling the Shorthorn in average size, 

 fully as early in maturity, uniform and attractive in color, with a 

 longer and* thicker coat of hair, and every appearance of great hardi- 

 ness, usually short-legged, with deep, compact bodies, admittedly of 

 unusual excellence as grazing beasts, they became the favorite breed 

 of many, and were especially popular with many seeking to improve 

 the cattle on the great ranches of the far West. 



The third in number of the distinctive beef breeds is the Polled 

 Aberdeen- Angus. The rise of this breed in public esteem was almost 

 or quite as remarkable as in the case of the Herefords. It had to 

 overcome a very considerable prejudice among American cattle- 



f rowers against the black color, but was helped, on the other hand, 

 y its lack of horns, a wide-spread feeling that horns are a serious 

 disadvantage to cattle, especially to those to be fed outside stables, 

 having been developed in recent years. Unsurpassed in compactness 

 of body and lightness f offal, and in symmetry and finish of the best 

 specimens, the marked success of the breed at the great Paris Ex- 

 position of 1878, and at prominent British shows, was followed by 

 striking success in American show-yards. With large importations 

 and skillful breeding by a considerable number of men of large 

 wealth and business sagacity, the merits of the breed were presented 

 with a degree of skill probably not equaled in the case of any other 

 breed, and the Angus won and retains a high place in the esteem of 

 many of the best American cattle-breeders. With this breed may 

 be mentioned the Galloway. Resembling the Angus in color, in 

 lack of horns, and in form so closely that the average cattleman dis- 

 tinguishes them with difficulty, with 'the persistent claim in its 



