68 AT THE SIGN OF THE STOCK YARD INN 



Mr. BOOTH was the owner of the beautiful estate 

 of Killerby, comprising 500 acres of arable and pas- 

 ture land situated in the charming valley of the 

 Swale, two miles from Gatterick. The house stood 

 on the site of an ancient military stronghold, from 

 which the estate took its name, that had been con- 

 structed by the EARL OF ARUNDEL in the days of 

 EDWARD I. The approach was through a park 

 studded with noble oaks and elms. Here the old 

 master began those experiments destined in later 

 years to give to British herds and showyards some 

 of the most perfect animals of a heavy flesh-carrying 

 type the world has ever seen. In common with 

 the GOLLINGS and nearly all of his other contempo- 

 raries, Mr. BOOTH endeavored to solve the problem 

 of how to refine the old Teeswater stock. He real- 

 ized the faults of the prevailing type and was among 

 the first to concede that through Hubback (319) 

 and the BAKEWELL system the GOLLINGS had prob- 

 ably hit upon the long -sought line of progression. 

 Unlike Mr. BATES and many other breeders of the 

 time, he did not deem it essential, however, to go 

 to Ketton and Barmpton for females to carry on 

 his experiments. He had an idea that by crossing 

 moderate -sized, strongly bred COLLING bulls upon 

 large-framed, roomy cows showing great constitu- 



