210 



Short-horn Cattle. 



Vol. VIII. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Short-horu Cattle. 



Much has been said about the improve- 

 ment of the Short-horn cattle by the Gallo- 

 way cross. I do not believe that the Short- 

 horns are at all indebted to this cross, — for 

 the following reasons. The grand-son of 

 Bolingbroke, which was one fourth Galloway, 

 was put to old Phcenix, the mother of Fa- 

 vourite, (155,) and produced Lady. All the 

 produce of Phoeni.x, and all of Favourite 

 were good. But tlie grand-son of Boling- 

 broke left but one good animal, which was 

 Lady. Under those circumstance?, is it not 

 reasonable to conclude, that Lady and her 

 descendants owed their unquestionable ex- 

 cellence to her dam '! Mr. Youatt says that 

 Lady and her descendants sold at C. Col- 

 ling's sale, for a larger sum than any other 

 family — this may be true; but Lady was the 

 oldest cow sold, (14 years,) and should have 

 had a larger progeny than any other. But 

 let us look at individuals. The highest cow 

 of Lady's descendants was Countess, and 

 she sold for 400 guineas. Lily, out of 

 Daisy, by Comet, sold for 410 guineas. The 

 highest price that a bull of the Alloy brought, 

 was Major, (397,) who sold for 200 guineas. 

 He had in him one sixteenth of Galloway 

 blood. Two of those without Galloway 

 blood, sold much higher; Comet (155,) sold 

 for 1000 guineas, and Petrarch (488,) 

 brought 365 guineas. Of the bull calves of 

 the Alloy, young Favourite sold for 140 

 guineas; he had in him one thirty-second 

 part of Galloway. Cecil, without any of 

 the Alloy, brought 30 guineas more than 

 young Favourite. The highest price heifer 

 that was sold was young Countess, with one 

 thirty-second part of Galloway in her — she 

 sold for 206 guineas. Young Dutchess, 

 without any of the Alloy, sold to T. Bates, 

 for 183 guineas. Of the heifer calves, Lu- 

 cilla — having in her one thirty-second part 

 of Galloway — brought 31 guineas more than 

 any other. 



I have said enough about the sale of Mr. 

 C. Colling, to show that the pure Short-horns 

 brought higher prices than the Alloy. But 

 I do not rest my argument here. It will be 

 seen above, that Mr. Bates bought at C. 

 CoUing's sale, young Dutchess, and Mr. 

 Bates has never used any bull that had in 

 him any of the Galloway cross; and if the 

 awards at the National Cattle Shows in 

 England be any proof of excellence, it will 

 be seen that his herd stands now at the very 

 head of Short-horn herds in England. At 

 the Royal Agricultural meeting at Oxford, 

 1839, Mr. Bates exhibited his bull the Duke 

 of Northumberland, against six others, and 



received the prize of 30 sovereigns — and 

 20 sovereigns for the best cow in milk, and 

 15 sovereigns for the best in-calf heifer, and 

 for the best yearling heifer, 10 sovereigns. 

 He showed but those four, for each of which 

 he got a premium. There was considerable 

 competition in each class. 



I have thus shown that the Galloway cross 

 produced a good animal only from one of the 

 best families of Short-horns, and that at Mr. 

 Ceiling's sale, the pure Short-horns sold for 

 higher prices than the Alloy, and that Mr. 

 Bates' Short-horns took the premiums over 

 all others in 1839, at the Royal Agricultu- 

 ral Society. From the above facts and ar- 

 guments, I conclude that the Galloway cross 

 was not an improvement upon the Short- 

 horns. It is true the Galloway blood has 

 all been nearly bred out of them, and there 

 cannot now be found an animal sprung from 

 Lady, with one hundredth part of Galloway 

 blood. 



I believe the Short-horns cannot be im- 

 proved by any other, but think all other 

 cattle may be improved by them. 



Those who have conmion cows, might 

 soon get a superior stock by using thorough 

 bred Short-horn bulls ; in a few generations 

 they would look more like Short-horns than 

 scrubs, and the produce of our common cat- - 

 tie would be doubly as valuable as they are 

 now, m the second or third generation. 

 This is the cheapest, and no doubt the best 

 way to introduce the Short-horns generally 

 into the country. The greatest obstacle 

 will be the temptation to use part blooded 

 bulls; they will look so much better than 

 the scrub stock from which they have come, 

 that they will be sought after by those vi'ho 

 are not willing to incur the expense of a 

 full-blood bull, and upon scrub stock they 

 will make some improvement; but in those 

 that have been partially improved, there is 

 a constant tendency to degenerate, if part 

 blooded bulls are used. 



When I speak of the Short-horns being 

 stiperior to all other cattle, I wish to add, 

 that there should be an adaptation of soil 

 and climate. If I was capable, I have not 

 room to say any thing now, concerning the 

 particular localities of the different breeds 

 of cattle. Samuel D. Martin. 



Colbyville, Jan. 1844. 



WiTHERSPOoN says : " Men may talk in 

 rapture of youth and beauty, wit and spright- 

 liness, and a hundred other shining qualities; 

 but after seven years' union, not one of them 

 is to be compared to good family manage- 

 ment, which is seen at every meal and felt 

 every hour in the husband's purse." 



