THE GRASSY LANES OF HURWORTH 63 



how frequently an element of chance has served 

 to point the way to explorers in this field in the 

 early stages of their work. I would not undertake 

 to say that the matter of judgment did not enter 

 at all into the original selection and use of the bull 

 that is regarded as the real progenitor of the im- 

 proved Shorthorn; but certain it is that no one was 

 particularly interested in, or excited about, Hubback 

 (519) at the time he was first put in limited ser- 

 vice by the GOLLINGS. But he revolutionized the 

 cattle-breeding of all York and Durham just the 

 same, and imparted qualities which the herds of 

 that region had not previously possessed, and which 

 the best Shorthorns of our day still claim as a 

 proud inheritance. 



It is certain that neither WAISTELL nor the 

 COLLINGS appreciated the value of Hubback until 

 after they had parted with him and saw the excel- 

 lence of his calves as they grew up and developed. 

 He was small, and this condemned him; but his 

 dam, though also small (for a Shorthorn), was "a 

 very handsome cow, of fine symmetry, with a nice 

 touch and fine, long, mossy hair." All these qual- 

 ities Hubback inherited. But scale was a big point 

 in Shorthorns at that time, and this assumed fault 

 led the COLLINGS to be wary. 



