606 CYCLOPEDIA OF LIVE STOCK AND COMPLETE STOCK DOCTOR^ 



Vm. Tlie 0arham or Teeswater Breed. 



This breed, which has become famous as the original of the celebrated 

 Short-Horn c;jttle of to-day, is a mixed race, though it has been a dis- 

 tinctive English breed of hundreds of years past. The Rev. Mr. Berry, 

 author of a much-criticized history of Shoii>Horn cattle, written in the 

 early part of the century, but undoubtedly correct in relation to their 

 early history, says : 



"From the earliest periods as to which we have any accounts of our 

 breeds of cattle, the counties of Durham and York have been celebrated 

 for their Short-Horns, but principally, in the first instance, on account of 

 their reputation as extraordinary milkers. It may be the best evidence, 

 that, as a breed, they have never in this particular been equaled. They 

 were generally of large size, thin-skinned, sleek-haired, bad handlers, 

 rather delicate in constitution, coarse in the offal, and strikingly defective 

 in girth in the fore-quarters. When put to fatten, they were found slow 

 feeders ; producing an inferior meat, not marbled or mixed fat and lean, 

 and in some cases the lean was found a particularh^ dark hue. 



'♦A period of more than one hundred years has now elapsed sines the 

 Short-Horns, on the banks of the river Tees, hence called the Teeswater 

 breed, assumed a very different character to the foregoing description. 

 In color, they resembled the Short-Horns of the present day, being occa- 

 sionally red, red and white, and roan, though the last not then so preva- 

 lent as now. They possessed a fine mellow skin and flesh, good hair, 

 and light offal, particularly wide carcasses, and fore-quarters of extraor- 

 dinary depth and capacity. When slaughtered, their proof was extaor- 

 dinary, and many instances are recorded of the wonderful weight of their 

 inside fat. 



"The remarkable merit which existed in the Teeswater may, with pro- 

 priety, be ascribed to a spirit of improvement which had some time man- 

 ifested itself among the breeders on the banks of the Tees, whose laud- 

 able efforts were well seconded by the very superior land in the vicinity 

 of that river. No doubt can be entertained that they proceeded on a 

 judicious system of crossing with other breeds, because it was utterly im- 

 possible to raise such a stock as the Teeswater from pure Short-Horn 

 blood. One cross to which they referred was, in all probability, the 

 white wild breed ; and if tliis conjecture be well-founded, it will be ap- 

 parent whence the Short-Horns derived a color soprevalent among thorn. 



"1": is also asserted that, about the period in question. Sir William St. 

 Quinim, of Scampston, imported bulls and cows from Holland, which 

 wers crossed with the stock of the country. It would tend to little 

 advantage to conjecture as to what other breeds were resorted to, if any ? 



