194 THE CATTLE OP GREAT BRITAIN. 



good, having a larger portion of lean meat to fat than moat animals, and 

 are considered by the butchers " good cntters ;" but I have no doubt a well- 

 bred Shorthorn would make 31b. of meat from the same food that a Gloucester 

 would require to make 21b. 



To the foregoing information I am happy to add the following 

 letter, which I have just received from Mr, John Thompson as 

 the sheet is going to press : 



I am happy to inform you that the Duke of Beaufort's herd of " Old 

 Gloucester" cows continues to go on very well. About two years ago we 

 were fortunate in getting a little fresh blood introduced, which I think will 

 do great good, without altering the fixed type of the breed in the least. 

 Having heard that Dr. Price, Llantrissant (generally known in Wales as 

 " The Druid "), had preserved some of the old breed in its purity, we 

 managed to get him to part with four of them (two bulls, one cow, and one 

 heifer). The three-year-old bull and the cow are as true specimens of the 

 breed as I have ever seen. If they had been bred at Badminton they could 



not have matched the herd better We have now a young bull by his 



old one out of one of his grace's cows, also one by his grace's bull out of Dr. 

 Price's cow, which will soon disseminate the fresh blood throughout the 

 herd. I may mention that although we have gone on so long without any 

 change of blood whatever, there was no falling off in the character or 

 constitution of the animals, the only noticeable feature being a barrenness in 

 the heifers ; for some years past not more than a moiety of them have bred, 

 a failing which I hope the fresh blood now introduced will remedy. 



Several attempts have been made to improve the Glamorgans 

 by crossing with Ayrshires, HerefordS; and Devons, but without 

 success. A breed so old, and of such a fixed type, was not 

 likely to blend harmoniously with any other. Improvement 

 could only come from within ; all attemps to improve by 

 crossing must and did end in failure. 



