DUEHAvJ BEEED.I CATTLE, AND THEIE VAEIETIES. [TOBKsniEE cow. 



this breed was Mr. C. CoUiug, just spoken of; 

 who bred the celebrated Durham ox, the pro- 

 duce of one of the ordinary short-horned cows, 

 and a bull termed Eavourite, of noble figure. 

 At five years old, says the excellent author of 

 the work on cattle, " the Durham ox was sold 

 to Mr. Eulmer, of Harmley, near Bedale, for 

 public exhibition, at the price of £140, He 

 was at that time computed to weigh 168 stones 

 of l-ilbs. ; his live weight being 216 stones : 

 this extraordinary weight did not arise from 

 bis superior size, but from the excessive ripe- 

 ness of all his points." The Durham ox, in a 

 short time, passed into the possession of Mi'. 

 J, Day, who travelled with him through the 

 principal parts of England and Scotland, till at 

 Oxford he discolated bis hip-bone, when he 

 was obliged to be slaughtered ; and, notwith- 

 standing he must have lost considerably during 

 eight weeks of illness, bis carcass weighed — the 

 four quarters, 165 stones 12lbd. ; tallow, 11 

 stones 2lbs. ; and hide, 10 stones 21bs. Among 

 the most remarkable of Mr. Colliug's experi- 

 ments in breeding, was that of a cross between 

 the improved short-horns and a polled Galloway 

 cow, which, being interbred with tbe pure 

 short-horned stock, gave origin to a breed 

 called the Alloy— o. term, at first, given by way 

 of disparagement, but continued afterwards 

 when the excellences of tbe breed were acknow- 

 ledged. Some idea of its value may be formed 

 from the fact, that at a sale of Mr. Coliing's 

 cattle, forty-eight animals (cows, bulls, year- 

 old bull-calves, and heifer-calves) realised 

 £7,115 175. Of tlie Alloy breed, was the stock, 

 or part of the stock, of the late Eev. H. Berry. 

 The figure of the cows was excellent in every 

 respect, and their milking quality is stated to 

 have been by no meaus of inferior degree. 



AmoDgr the most celebrated of the short- 

 horned stocks of the present day, that in the 

 possession of the late Lord Althorp, was one 

 of the most distinguished. It was originally 

 derived from the stock of Mr. Iv. Colling, and 

 no pains were spared in bringing it to the 

 highest excellence. X. celebrated bull, be- 

 longing to this nobleman, and which is known 

 under the cognomen of Eirby, was regarded as 

 a model of the breed. Ic is a peculiarity in 

 this short-horned race, that the cows are ex- 

 cellent as milkers ; and, moreover, that when 

 dried, they fatten rapidly. The oxen, as it is 

 644 



acknowledged, are fit for the butcher at the 

 age of two years ; but this tendency to acquire 

 fat renders them indolent workers, and more 

 unfitted for the team than other breeds — a 

 circumstance of little consequence, as cattle 

 which are profitable to the breeder at two 

 years old, and are as ready for the butcher at 

 this age as those of any other breed at three, 

 or even four, ought never to be submitted to 

 the yoke. The bulls, indeed, being extremely 

 docile, may be employed with advantage in 

 many operations going on in every farm — a 

 plan the more advisable as they are apt to 

 acquire too much fat, which moderate labour 

 would tend to diminish. 



It must not be supposed that every breed 

 of short-horned cattle is endowed with the 

 qualities characteristic of the improved stock, 

 which render it so valuable. There is, for 

 example, a breed of short-horned cattle in 

 Lincolnshire, with which the Smithfield market 

 was wont to be abundantly supplied ; but the 

 cattle of this stock are by no means first-rate 

 animals. The head is not finely modelled ; 

 the bone is comparatively large; the limbs 

 high, and the hips wide. In many instances, 

 the stock has been improved by admixture 

 with more highly bred animals, and rendered 

 valuable ; but the flesh is not fine-grained. On 

 tlie whole, these cattle are better adapted for 

 the dairy farmer than the grazier, as the cows 

 yield a fair quantity of milk. 



THE YORKSHIRE CO^Y. 



This is a short-horned milk-producing breed, 

 of great size, yielding milk in large quantities, 

 and having a considerable aptitude to fatten. 

 On this account it is cbosen by the dairymen 

 of populous towns and cities, especially those 

 of Loudon, for the supply of milk for a given 

 period. Eattened on the refuse of the distillers, 

 and such waste materials as large towns usually 

 furnish, it doubly remunerates whatever care 

 and attention the dairyman may bestow upon 

 it. When fiit, the Yorkshire cow will weigh 

 from sixty to eighty stones. Her characters 

 are thus given by Mr. Milburn :— " Her head 

 is fine, and somewhat small ; there is a serene 

 placidity of eye, which shows a mild and gentle 

 disposition, tending alike to produce fat and 

 milk. The horns are small and white ; the 

 muzzle without black spots ; the breast deep 



