346 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



[No. 



Ae a epecimen of the allny, the reader is re- 

 ferred lo Mr. Derr3''s cow. She gives a nioderale 

 quantity of particularly rich milk. 



It would answer no uselhl purpose, and would 

 certainly be an ohjediouahle course, lo hrinu; un- 

 der particular notice any one or more of the hi<ih!y 

 valuable stocks of improved short-horns of the 

 present day. To enumcrale all would be impossi- 

 ble ; and ilie writer of this account would most stu- 

 diously avoid any partial or invidious comparison. 

 The same objeciion does not, however, exist as to 

 a remote period ; and it is hut justice lo stale that 

 Mr. Robert C-Jling, brother of Mr. Charles, (who 

 certainly was ihe leader, and surpassed all compe- 

 titors in the improvement of Ihe short-horns,) Mr. 

 Charge, of Newton, near Darlington, and Mr. 

 Mason, of Chilton, in the couniy of Durham. 

 were only second to Mr. Charles Colling in his in- 

 teresting and useful pursuit. Mr. Mason started 

 early with animals derived, it is believed, liom 

 Mr. Colling, in ihe very comujencement of his 

 career; and Mr. Charge, who had long possessed 

 a most valuable stock of Teeswater cattle, had at 

 an early period crossed them wiih Mr. Colling's 

 best bulls, and was one of the spirited purchasers 

 of Comet, at a thousand guineas. Mr. Mason's 

 late successful sale sufficiently stamps the value 

 of his stock at that period, bul it is generally ad- 

 mitted, the system of crossing wilh other herds, 

 which he had of late years judiciously adopted, 

 proved highly instrumental in restoring those quali- 

 ties in his own, which too close breedinir had in 

 some degree threatened to deprive them of. 



It would be unfair, on litis occasion, lo omit 

 mention of a veteran l»reeder, lo whom ihe advo- 

 cates for tlie preservation of peihgree are iiiriebled 

 for the Short-horn Herd Book — Mr. Geor<xe 

 Coates. He is now one of the oldest authorities 

 on the subject in existence, and was once the pos- 

 sessor of a very superior race of short-horns, 

 hough somewhat coarse. Portraits have been 

 preserved of some very fine animals bred by him; 

 and he had the solid satisfaction to dispose of his 

 bull Patriot lor five hundred guineas. 



Mr. Coates fell into an error, but too common, 

 and generally equally latal : he fancied his own 

 etock the best, and disdained to cross them wilh 

 Mr. Colling's; which, as others afterwards provetl, 

 would have been a most judicious proceeding. 

 The consequence was, Mr. Colling's sale having 

 settled the public judgment and taste, Mr. Coates' 

 stock fell into disrepute. If an apology be requi- 

 site for this statement of an undeniable fact, it will 

 be found in the utility of holding up such an ex- 

 ample as a caution to those who may be in dan- 

 ger of tailing into a similar error. 



In the commencement of this account, however 

 it was slated that they possess a combination of 

 qualities, hitherto considered incompatible. It 

 will be obvious that the dispositon to feed ra- 

 pidly, in union with dairy qualifications, is here 

 intended. 



It miaht have the appearance of an intention to 

 depreciate other breeds of catile, were an inriuiry 

 instituted how the very general im.pression cauie 

 to be entertained that animals dis|)osed to fltttcn 

 rapidly seldom give much milk. It is unquestion- 

 ably true, that every perfection in cattle — whether 

 it be one of fJ)rm, of quality of flesh, of disposi- 

 tion to faiten, or to yield milk — can be promoted 

 and retained solely by the breeder's devoted at- 



tention to his particular object; and if one object 

 be allowed a paramount importance in the breed- 

 er's estimation and practice, oiher objects will suf- 

 fer in proportion as they are neglected. 



The improvement in the carcass of the short- 

 horns has been so sur|)rising, and so justly valued, 

 that many persons have allowed that completely 

 to occupy their attention, and the dairy has been 

 disregarded. In such a staie of things, every ad- 

 vance towards one point has been tantamount to 

 receding from another; because the same pro- 

 ceeding which tends to enhance a particular qual- 

 ity, will also eiduince a delect, provided such de- 

 lect, was of i)revious existence. 



This may be rendered more intelligible by a short 

 illustralion. Suppose half a dozen aninuds to be 

 selected in consequence of their possessing a par- 

 ticular (]ualily ; which quality it is proposed, on a 

 certain established principle of breeding, lo in- 

 crease and renaer almost permanent by their union. 

 Suppose the animals so selected lo come fiom the 

 hands of breeders who have neglected the mdk- 

 ing property ; the certain consequence will be, 

 that Ihe very union which developes and secures 

 the desired object will lend, on tlie same princi- 

 ple, to increase the delect as to milk. In 

 short, it will render it habitual in the produce. 

 But this illustration, by a selection, is supposing 

 too much lor Ihe probable stale of the case. The 

 objeclions which exist among breeders, for va- 

 rious and some cogent reasons, against crossing 

 with the stocks of each other, unavoidably lead to 

 the pracli' e of breeuitjg in-and-in ; which, in case 

 of any original deficiency of the milking property, 

 must unf|uestionably go on lo render that deficien- 

 cy greater. It is hence evident that bad milking, 

 in a breed of animals whicli were ever distiniruish- 

 ed as (rood milkers, is not a necessary consequence 

 of improvement in the animal in other respects, 

 but a consequence of the manner in which such 

 improvement is pursued. This the writer consi- 

 ders to be the reasoning properly applicable to the 

 subject; which happily also admits of a satisfac- 

 tory appeal to facts; and he is strictly justified in 

 asserting that improved short-horns, inferior to 

 none lor the grazier, ma\^ always be selected and 

 bred with the most valuable dairy properties. Per- 

 haps a more plentiful and steady milker than the 

 dam of Mr. Berry's bull, never stood over a pail, 

 and few such carcasses of beef have been exhibi- 

 ted as hers, when an accident rendered it requi- 

 site to only hall-feed her. The bull himself has 

 an extraordinary disposition to carry flesh, and his 

 calves are let down in the udders like miniature 

 cows. In fact, all the bull's family are excellent 

 for the pail, and the quickest possible feeders. The 

 writer has known many instances of the highest 

 bred short-horns giving upwards of four gallons 

 (wine measure) of milk, night and morning; and 

 it is certain that attention only is requisite, on the 

 part of the breeder, to perpetuate this quality in 

 any desirable extent. While on this subjectj it is 

 proper to observe, that the excessive quantities of 

 milk obtained from the unimproved short-horns 

 are seldom or ever obtained from the improved ; 

 but a moderately good milker of the latter kind 

 will be Ibund to yield as much butter in the week, 

 as one of the former: the milk being unquestiona- 

 bly of very superior quality; and indeed, it was 

 likely such should be the case, and that Ihe artifi- 

 cial change in tlie animal economy, which leads to 



