THE UNITED KINGDOM. 65 



WELSH CATTLE. 



The Welsh Eurits, as they are sometimes called, may be considered as 

 an aboriginal breed, but they Lave been found to vary very much in 

 quality. This arose from sufficient care not having been taken formerly 

 in selecting them for breeding. 



They are apt to be somewhat ragged in outline, though fairly good 

 specimens are occasionally found, especially of late, as more attention 

 has been given to form and quality. 



They may be denominated a middle-horned breed, rather inclined to 

 long. The horns are wide-spreading, white, tipped with black, and curl- 

 ing upwards. 



The color of the animal is usually black, and some hare a little white. 



They are good for dairy purposes, but are usually too strong in bone 

 and hide for grazing profitably. Still, in the hands of a few leading 

 breeders, they have become so much refined of their coarseness that they 

 begin to make an impression at the Srnithficld Club show, and last De- 

 cember Mr. Owen Thomas, of Anglesey, could claim to have the heavi- 

 est animal in the show with his nearly four years old ox, which weighed 

 22 cwt., 1 qr., G Ibs. 



The Welsh Cattle-Book, published in 1874, gives the characteristics of 

 this breed most fully. 



KERRY CATTLE. 



The Kerry is the only native Irish breed worthy of mention. The eows 

 are good milkers for their size ; from the ease with which they are kept 

 in a limited space they are often called the poor man's cow. They are 

 {jinall, handsome, and very docile"; the head is fine and small, the eye 

 quick and animated. Frequently the animals do not exceed 40 inches 

 in height. 



The foregoing succinct and detailed references to the various breeds 

 of cattle furnish general descriptions that may be unreservedly accepted, 

 the printed notes being those made by the current president of the Royal 

 Agricultural Society of England, Sir Brandreth Gibbs, who has had 

 forty years' official connection with the Royal Society and the Smith- 

 field Club, whilst the written account has been specially compiled for 

 me by Mr. Joseph Darby, an author of works on cattle, sheep, and dairy 

 subjects, well known and esteemed in this country. 



Herewith I inclose the various items of information which I have ob- 

 tained in response to letters addressed to several of the leading stock- 

 owners of the British Islands, and from personal visits made by myself, 

 especially in Essex and jSTorfolk. I shall, however, wish to make the 

 following preliminary remarks on the whole subject : 



SELECTION OF FOREIGN CATTLE FOR THE UNITED STATES. 



In reference to the assertion that there are only ten or eleven breeds 

 of cattle in the United States, where there is room for at least thirty, 

 and that England possesses twenty breeds and Franco fifteen breeds 

 and other European countries in like proportion, I would observe that 

 whilst doubtless some additional breeds to those at present in the United 

 States may be advantageously introduced, yet the cattle now in the 

 United States are selections from the best breeds of Europe, where stock- 

 breeders are reducing the number of their breeds, so that those besfc 

 suited for the production of meat and milk are crowding out the inferior 

 H. Ex. 51 5 



