PEDIGREE CATTLE 373 



of excellence in symmetry, and quality, but other breeds, now almost 

 as well-known, were rapidly brought to perfection. Especially is 

 this true of the Aberdeen- Angus, the Sussex, Ayrshire, and Channel 

 Island breeds. 1 Other breeds were similarly improved by societies 

 and the compilation of herd-books. Thus the Black cattle of South 

 Wales and the Norfolk and Suffolk Red Polled breed have had their 

 herd-books since 1874. In sheep the improvement was, perhaps, 

 even more striking. The historic Leicesters, Cotswolds, and South- 

 downs still held their own, but other breeds made rapid strides hi 

 the popular favour. The unproved Lincolns, the Oxford Downs, 

 Hampshire Downs, and Shropshires are almost creations of the 

 period. Between 1866 and 1874 the number of cattle in Great 

 Britain rose from under five millions to over six millions, and sheep 

 had increased to over thirty millions in 1874. Nor was there only 

 an increase in numbers. The average quality was greatly improved, 

 and good sheep and cattle were widely distributed. 



1 The Shorthorn Society was founded in 1875 : the Hereford Herd-book 

 appeared in 1846, and the Hereford Herd-book Society was incorporated in 



1878 : the Devon Herd-book appeared in 1851. The first volume of the 

 Aberdeen- Angus Polled Herd-book was issued in 1862, and the second in 

 1872: the Sussex Herd-book Society published its first volume (1855-78) in 



1879 ; the Ayrshire Herd-book Society was established in 1877 and published 

 its first volume in 1878; the English Herd-book of Jersey Cattle was first 

 issued in 1879, and the English Jersey Cattle Society was incorporated in 

 1883. 





