BREEDS OF CATTLE 131 



reason why two-and-a-half year old 1 Shorthorns were fit for 

 slaughter at a leaner stage than most other animals was due to 

 the fact that their flesh was "marbled" at an earlier stage in the 

 feeding period; I have been greatly strengthened in this belief 

 by the rough observations I have been able to make during 

 several years past. At the same time, the matter is so much 

 open to doubt and the results, whatever the cause, are so 

 important that it is a clear case for systematic research. 



For reasons already suggested, it is difficult to do more than 

 quote such a description of the characteristics of the Shorthorn 

 as has already been given. It will be well, however, to refer to 

 some economic characters ; and these must be treated under two 

 heads, namely those of the beef, and the dual-purpose, members 

 of the breed respectively. 



The purely beef animal is the product of the demand from 

 overseas. It is a breed that has been evolved out of the tribes 

 founded by the late Amos Cruickshank, and to a lesser extent 

 by his brother, both Scotsmen from Aberdeenshire. It was my 

 good fortune to be told once by their greatest English disciple, 

 a man who had had the advantage of frequent interviews with 

 Amos, what was the belief of this celebrated man. "Amos 

 Cruickshank told me," said this great breeder, "that the great 

 thing to look for in a Shorthorn was constitution." I gathered 

 that by the word constitution was meant an animal with a 

 particularly deep body, with wide well-sprung ribs, those at 

 its fore-end or "over the heart" being specially well arched, 

 with a very capacious abdomen, the muscles of whose walls 

 were strong enough to contain it in such a way as to avoid any 

 appearance even of looseness or "paunchiness," and, finally, 

 with a skin well coated with abundant, soft, yet weather-defy- 

 ing hair 2 . These points have been well maintained^-without 



1 1 am not by any means convinced that the faculty is more pro- 

 nounced in very young Shorthorns than in baby-beef animals of other 

 descriptions. 



2 I think it may be of interest to record that I submitted what I have 

 here written to the celebrated breeder I refer to. This gentleman Mr J. 

 Deane Willis of Babton Manor, Wilts. writes (6. i. 19) : "You are welcome 

 to say I agree about constitution. It was after I bought all his yearling 

 heifers in 1889 that I used to go up and see him [Amos Cruickshank]." 



9 2 



