THE UNITED KINGDOM. 99 



them, and the new breed so produced received the name of the Short- 

 horn. 



It is not necessary to follow the history of the breed further. As it 

 became known it came into popularity and quickly spread and multi- 

 plied. About the year 1754 the brothers Collings, of Darlington, entered 

 upon a new departure in. the history of this new breed, applying Bake- 

 well's principle of selection in the breeding of the Shorthorn ; a step 

 which produced the happiest consequences and the most important re- 

 sults, improving the frame and proportion of the cattle, and, largely 

 developing and increasing their milk and fattening properties. For 

 many years they followed this course, and when the herd was dispersed 

 in 1810 the prices realized at its sale were altogether unprecedented. 

 Since then much has been done by many persons to improve the breed. 



It would bo impossible to particularize those who have done such 

 great service, but we may mention the names of Bates (whose great 

 success must be largely be attributed to his purchases at Collings's 

 sale), and of Booth, the founders of two great families of Shorthorns 

 whose fame is without compare. 



The points of tlie Shorthorn.T]iQ color may be entirely red or entirely 

 white, or a mixture, either color predominating, but not in spots. The 

 fashionable color has varied at different times. Once a creamy white 

 was all the rage ; so was all the red, and the flecked roan, but a good 

 Shorthorn cannot be a bad color so long as it is not spotted. The skin 

 around the eye and the bald of the nose should be of a rich cream color, 

 the head rather small in proportion to size, and tapering in shape, with 

 a fine muzzle ; a clean, calm, and prominent eye; horns rising near the 

 crown, short, smooth, and white, but moderately sharp, and of fine 

 quality; the head should be well set on a deep form and broad neck. 

 As to the frame, it should approach as exactly as possible to the shape 

 of a parallelogram, from whatever direction viewed; the back per- 

 fectly straight and level from the neck, just below the horns, to the top 

 of the tail ; the shoulders well back in the body, and the brisket pro- 

 jecting in short rectangular form. The top of the shoulders should be 

 perfectly level and the loins wide and level across the hock bones ; the 

 hind quarters long and straight, as should the shoulders, forming perpen- 

 dicular and well-marked lines ; the buttocks to the hocks, and the shoulders 

 to the knees fall and well developed, but below the bones should be 

 fine and clean and clearly formed ; the twist full and wide ; the flank 

 full and thick, and the tail moderately fine, and not too much covered 

 with hair. The ribs should be inclined to the shape of a barrel, but 

 when the animal is seen along the side, it should appear as if per- 

 fectly straight and level from the shoulder to the buttock. When 

 seen ondwi.se, it should be equally straight and level from the top of 

 the neck to the root of the tail, and also underneath from the brisket 

 along the belly towards the twist. The hair fine and abundant, soft 

 and glossy; the skin mellow and sofjj to the touch ; the flesh is accumu- 

 lated on the valuable parts, the fat in due proportion to the lean, and 

 the flesh of the slaughered animal is fine in quality, well marbled, and 

 the meat most juicy and tender. In the bull the head is broader and 

 thicker, and the neck is arched and coarser. In the cow the belly is 

 more pendulous ; the thighs slighter, and the loins sometimes hollow. 



The appearance of the Shorthorn is exceedingly attractive and sym- 

 metrical; its skin is of the richest hue, from the blood red to the pure 

 white or cream or the beautiful delicate roan. 1 to small clean limbs 

 and handsome apperanoe have stamped it as the me/a'c magnificent breed 

 of cattle we possess. 



