1S39] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



365 



Mr. Mason (of Chilton) in the course of an 

 experiment to ascertain the weight of beef gained 

 by the food given, (turnips,) found three steers, 

 under 3 years old, to have gained 20 stones each 

 in 20 weeiis. The three steers averaged 70 stones 

 each. 



In 1S16, IMr. Nesharn's steer, three years and 

 a half old, obtained the premium offered by the 

 Durham Agricultural Society ; liis weight was, 4 

 quarters, 96 stones, l^lb; tallow, 11 stones, 71b; 

 hide, 8 stones. 



Major Rudd (of Marion in Cleveland) obtained 

 the premium offered by the Cleveland Ajiricultu- 

 ral Society in 1811, tor the best steer under three 

 years old, and led on vegetable food. The sieer 

 was sold to the butcher (or 10s. per stone, and 

 slaughtered wlien three years and thirteen days 

 old ; the weight of his 4 quarters was 96 stones. 

 The late Mr. Robertson (of Ladykirk, near 

 Berwick-upon-Tweed) furnished the writer with 

 the fbllowiniT pariiculars of short-horns, bred by 

 him, and fed witli few exceptions, on vegetable 

 food : — 



1794 — An ox, four j-ears, ten months old; 4 quar- 

 ters, 145 stones, 31b; tallow, 24 stones, 

 71b. 

 A steer, under four years old; 4 quarters, 

 106 stones; tallow, 19 stones, 71b. 

 1814 — A steer, three years, nine months old ; 4 

 quarters, 101 stones ; tallow, 15 stones. 

 1815 — A steer, three years, eleven n)onths old; 4 

 quarters, 112 stones, 71b; tallow, 26 stones. 

 A heifer, three years, eight months old ; 

 4 quarters 89 stones. 

 1817 — A steer, three years, iwo months old; 4 

 quarters, 95 stones, 101b; tallow, 17 

 stones, 101b. 

 1822 — An ox, lour years and a half old; 4 quar- 

 ters, 135 stones; tallow, 21 stones. 

 Own brother to the foregoing, three years 

 and a half old ; 4 quarters, 133 stones; 

 tallow, 21 stones. 



A steer, three years, ten months old ; 4 

 quarters, 124 stones; tallow, 17 stones. 

 A steer, three years, eight months old ; 4 

 quarters, 112 stones; tallow not weighed. 

 A steer, bred by Col. Cooke (of Ouston, near 

 Doncasler) fed on potatoes and straw, was slaugh- 

 tered when two years and twenty-two da5's old; 

 his 4 quarters weighed 72 stones. 



Mr. John Rennie (of Phantassie) produced, at 

 the East Lothian Agricultural Society's meeting, 

 in November, 1823, a steer, from eiglileen To 

 twenty months old; the 4 quarters of which 

 weighed 118 stones, 1 lb. Smithfield weiirht. 



The same gentleman produced before the Hi<ih- 

 land Society of Scotland a steer, aged two y<''ars. 

 four months, whose 4 quarters weighed 153 s'loncs, 

 71b: also a steer, aged three years, six months, 

 whose 4 quarters weighed 1169 stones, 71b. ; tal- 

 low, 30 stones, lib. 



Except in the three last instances, all the 

 weights given have been by the stone of 141b. 



Should the foregoing statement be considered 

 to have been unreasonably extended, it is presumed 

 it will, at least, be admitted, that its ample detail, 

 il attended to, will establish the credit of the 

 short- horns as an invaluable breed to the grazier. 

 We will take a very rapid survey of the few 

 counties not already decribed, and in which the 

 short-horns are the prevailing breed. 



Cumberland. — The native breed of Cumberland 

 was a small long- horned beast, jielding a (air 

 quantity of milk, and ol' good quality; ari^sivering 

 well for the dairy, but not su profitable as grazing 

 cattle. With these were intermingled the Kyloes 

 and the Gal'oways, both of iliem (juicker leeders 

 than the old Cumberlnnds. They were gene- 

 rally bought in about October, and turned all iJie 

 wmteron the pastures out of which the fat cat- 

 tle had just been sold — a little hay being allowed 

 them, according to circumstances. They were 

 kept about a twelvemonth and paid very well. 



The long-horns were most used for the dairy, 

 and chiefly for the production of butter. They 

 yielded from one to two firkins ner annum, accor- 

 ding to their goodness and size : the average pro- 

 duce was about 84Ib. per cow. Some of them 

 would yield eight quarts of milk per day during 

 the season, and three or lour pounds of butler per 

 week. The Cumberland builer used to be in 

 considerable request, 'i'he cheese was an interior 

 article, and chiefly made of skimmed milk. 



The short-horns were not slow in penetratino- 

 into Cumberland, and establishing themselves 

 there. They were first used to cross the native 

 and Scotch breeds, and sometimes with consid- 

 erable success. Mr. Bates, of Halton Castle, at- 

 tempted a cross between the Kyloe cow and the 

 short-horn bull. His object was to increase the 

 quantit}- of milk fr-om the Kyloe, and to preserve 

 its quality; and to gain that, which everyone 

 used to imagine the short-horn was sadly deficient 

 in, hardiness, fie hoped likewise to reduce the 

 great consumption of food by the short-horn, and 

 at the same time, to retain his early maturity. To 

 a very considerable extent he succeeded. Mr. 

 Maynard, than whom there could not be a better 

 judge of cattle, and from whose stock descended 

 some of the best short-horns of the north, hired 

 a bull from Mr. Bales, to try whateHect would be 

 produced on some of his own pure breeding stock. 

 That the short-horns could be materially improved 

 by such an admixture could scarcely be expected ; 

 but the value of the old breed of the country haa 

 been materially increase*!. 



The pure shori-horn is now zealously cultiva- 

 ted in Cumberland, and by none more so, or more 

 successfully, than by Mr. Maynard. 



Vorkbhire. — North Hiding. — There are few 

 parts of the kingdom in which so perfect a change 

 has taken place in the breed of cattle as in this 

 extensive division of Yorkshire. Mr. Marshall, 

 who is undoubted authority here, sa}'?, in his 

 Rural Economy of Yorkshire, at the commence- 

 ment of the eighteenth century, the ancient black 

 cattle were the only breed in this district. They 

 resembled the present breed of the lowlands of 

 Scotland, mostly horned, but some of them hum- 

 bled. To these succeeded the long-horned or Cra- 

 ven breed, and which by degrees, spread over 

 the whole of the northern and midland counties. 

 At that time the chief work of the fiirm was done 

 by cattle ; the horse had not yet quite superseded 

 the slower, but perhaps more profitable, ox ; and 

 many of the long-horns, until they began to be 

 improved by the breeders in the midland counties, 

 were deficient in several valuable points, while 

 the use of them was exceedingly inconvenient, 

 and sometimes dangerous, in the yoke. 



On these accounts, the long-horns in turn gave 

 way to the Holdeiness, or short-horn breed, and 



