BREEDS OF CATTLE 219 



the native stock between 1775 and 1820. Some have called 

 them the founders of the Shorthorn breed, but this claim 

 is probably incorrect. They improved the local cattle so 

 that they matured earlier, fed better, and had less waste at 

 slaughter than the parent stock with which they began. 



Thomas Bates lived in this same region, east of Darling- 

 ton, and he bred a type of large, handsome cattle, noted for 

 both beef and milk production. Shorthorns of his breeding 

 during the latter part of the nineteenth century were criti- 

 cised for lack of vigor. He produced the Duchess, Waterloo, 

 Wild Eyes, Oxford, and other families. Bates died in 1849. 



Figure 78. Shorthorn bull Ringmaster, a noted champion bull and sire. 

 Owned by White and Smith of Minnesota. Photograph from The Farmer. 



Thomas Booth, another great breeder, began to keep 

 Shorthorns about 1780 on a farm in Yorkshire, southeast of 

 Darlington. He had two sons, John and Richard, who also 

 became famous breeders. Their cattle had thicker chests, 

 were somewhat rougher in form, and perhaps better feeders 

 than the Bates cattle, and became very popular. The Booths 

 produced the Anna, Isabella, Bracelet, Moss Rose, and some 



