KERRY CATTLE. 217 



"been about the average. These cows are no doubt well kept ; 

 but it is a large yield, considering the size of the animals and 

 the comparatively small amount of food which they consume. 



The Kerry breed is, however, not only suited for supplying 

 the dairy, but cattle of this breed also fatten rapidly on even 

 middling pasture, and their beef is exceedingly fine and well- 

 flavoured. This is a feature of all the varieties of the Kerry, 

 even of the most neglected specimens of the breed, and hence 

 it is that cattle which would not be selected for breeding are 

 quickly bought up by graziers when driven to other parts of 

 the country. 



Considering the merits of the Kerry breed as a really useful 

 as well as a fancy breed, it is gratifying to know that breeders 

 in Kerry have of late been paying more attention to it than they 

 did. The County of Kerry Agricultural Society is rendering 

 valuable assistance in this work of improvement, and we confess 

 we look to that Society for doing more good in this way than 

 either the Eoyal Agricultural Society of Ireland or the Eoyal 

 Dublin Society. Of the gentlemen residing in Kerry who have 

 evinced most interest in the improvement of their native breed 

 of cattle we may name Eichard Mahony, Esq., Dromore Castle, 

 Kenmare ; James Butler, Esq., Waterville, which is a post town ; 

 and the Knight of Kerry, G-lanleam, Valencia. Several gentle- 

 men in other parts of Ireland have also small herds of Kerry 

 cattle, to the breeding of which they have given careful atten- 

 tion. Among these are Earl Eitzwilliam, CooUattin Park, co. 

 Wicklow ; C. Brinsley Marley, Esq., Belvedere House, Mullingar, 

 Westmeath ; Capt. Bayley, Friarstown, Tallaght, co. Dublin ; 

 and Mr. James Brady, Eaheny, co. Dublin, who has for a long 

 period been a careful breeder and successful exhibitor of Kerry 

 cattle. The blood which Mr. Brady has chiefly bred from has 

 been that of the herd belonging to the Knight of Kerry, It 

 was amusing to see Mr. Marley^s first prize three-year-old Kerry 

 bull, Eory of the Hills, bred by Mr. Brady, turned into the ring 

 at one of the spring shows of the Eoyal Dublin Society, to com- 

 pete with Shorthorn, Hereford, and Devon bulls for the Chaloner 

 Plate, valued at 150 guineas, as " the best bull of any breed 

 over two years and under six years of age." For the first time 

 the judges declined to award the cup to the Shorthorn bull, and 



