DiKiTAM BEEED.] CATTLE, AND THEIR VARIETIES. [duhiiam bukeu. 



fcJtudley ; and the Rov. H. Berry, to an improve- 

 lueni in the East RiJinjj; of Yorkshire, by the 

 iniportatiou of a breeil Iroiu llolhind by Sir 

 "W. St. Qaiiitiu, of Sciiinpstoii. Of these 

 orij^inula of the sliort-horns, liowevor, it is 

 hardly necessary to say more than this — that 

 a breed, from distant as^es, inliabiled the vaUey 

 of the Tees, wliich, trained and educated to 

 feed, for a vast succession of generations, on 

 its fertile deposits, acquired the habit of speedy 

 fat-fornuiig. In tliese valleys, where hay alone 

 will feed the largest ox, the production of fat 

 would be so I'ar au object, that breeders would 

 always seleei; the best and easiest feeding- 

 animals ; and thus the character of the district, 

 through a number of centuries, might easily 

 lay the groundwork of that improvement which 

 the JMillbanks, the Greys, the Booths, the 

 Coates, and, above all, the CoUings, effected. 

 The description of the qualities of the modern 

 short-horn is thus given by jMr. Dickson, an 

 established authority. After referring to the 

 general symmetry of the frame, and its delicate 

 colour, either deep-red, cream-coloured, white, 

 or delicate roan — the latter, by-the-by, the 

 jBOst fashionable, and, indeed, prevailing colour 

 — be speaks of it as possessing "the mellowest 

 touch, supported on small clean limbs, show- 

 ing, like those of the greyhound and the race- 

 horse, the union of strength with fineness, 

 and ornamented with a small, lengthy, tapering 

 head, neatly set on a broad, firm, deep neck ; 

 furnished with a small muzzle, wide nostrils, 

 prominent, mildly beaming eyes; thin, large, 

 veiny ears, set near the crown of the head, 

 and protected in front with semicircularly-bent, 

 white, or brownisii-coloured, short, smooth, 

 pointed horns. All these several parts combine 

 to form a symmetrical harmony, which has 

 never been surpassed, in beauty and sweetness, 

 by any other species of the domesticated ox." 

 Keeping in mind what has been stated to be 

 the perfection of a fat animal, the same autho- 

 rity, speaking of the short-horn, says — " We 

 have a straight level back from behind the 

 horns to the top of the tail, full buttocks, and 

 a projecting brisket; we have, in short, the 

 rectangular form : we have also tiie level line 

 across the hook-bones (hip), and the level top 

 ot t!ie shoulder across the ox, and perpendicular 

 lines down the hind and fore leirs on both sides; 

 ■^hese constituting the square form when the ox 



ia viewed before and behind ; and we have 

 straight parallel lines from tlio sides of the 

 aluiulders, along the outmost parts of the ribs, 

 and the sides of the hind quarters; and we 

 have also these lines, connected at their ends bv 

 others of shorter and equal length, across tli<! 

 end of the rump and the top of the shoulder; 

 thus constituting the rectangular form of the 

 ox when viewed from above down the back." 

 The weight which many of these animals attain 

 is surprising; whilst the prices which some of 

 them have fetched, and still fetch, is equallv 

 astonishiug. The Durham ox, a son of Charles 

 Ceiling's Eavourite, weighed 187 stones 21bs. 

 The Yorkshire ox, bred by Mr, Dunhill, of 

 Newton, near Doucaster, weighed, when killed, 

 261- stones ISlbs. These are weights of 14.1bs. 

 to the stone, and include the wonderful capa- 

 bilities to make iiit and flesh possessed by this 

 extraordinary race of animals. Though there 

 is not, perhaps, another instance on record of 

 any bull selling for so much money as Charles 

 Ceiling's Comet, which sold for 1,000 guineas 

 (which must be acknowledged to bo a great 

 price), yet £500, £G00, and as much as 

 £S0O, are still given for a first-rate short-horn 

 bull. It is not, hov.ever, in rapid fattening- 

 qualities alone that this species excels; for it 

 is unquosiiouably the most remarkable fo:- 

 attaining to an early maturity. The short- 

 horns begin to develop their fat-forming power3 

 even when calves. These powers seem to grov7 

 with their growth; and when only a 3-ear old, 

 they have all the appearance of full-grown cows. 

 This makes them early ready for the market ; 

 consequently their feeders, instead of keeping 

 them to three, four, or five years of age, fatten 

 and sell them off at from two to two-and-a-half 

 years. They can thus turn off one-half more, 

 at least, of beef from their farms or their stalls 

 than could possibly be produced with any other 

 breed. Thus they have quick returns, and large 

 amounts of beef for the food-consumer. To 

 accomplish this, however, care and good shelter 

 are requisite. Tiie cow needs nursing, and 

 nourishing diet when young: but she repays 

 all ; for she is a cow when another is a calf. 

 The ox is fat when the other is growing. She 

 will purchase a horse before a Devon will buy 

 a saddle. Hence, the short-horn stands the 

 very first on the list of fat-producing breeds. 

 Among the most successful of improvers of 



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