CATTLE. 131 



country, clearly show. It was found, as the quali- 

 ties of the improved cattle became more developed, 

 that, in a too exclusive regard to form, and propen- 

 sity to fatten early and easily, the important prop- 

 erty of good milking had been neglected, and that in 

 this re.ipect they were inferior to some other varie- 

 ties of English cattle. The qualities of form and 

 fattening had become habitual ; the object now was 

 to ingraft on these the property of good milkers. 

 In this improvement, which was completely suc- 

 cessful, Mr. Berry took the lead ; and as the princi- 

 ple he adopted is capable of application in other 

 cases, it may be well briefly to sketch his process. 



For nearly 100 years, a variety of the Teeswater, 

 on the Tees, had been noted for its superiority as 

 milkers ; and as in form and propensity to fatten 

 they bore a short resemblance to the Short Horns, 

 Mr. Berry determined to select an animal of this 

 breed for his experiments. He accordingly chose a 

 bull from one of the best milkers in the district, and 

 whose properties in other respects were such as to 

 justify the decision. The result verified the correct- 

 ness of the theory, and proved that, witliout mate- 

 rially diminishing their value in other respects, the 

 properties of the Short Horns as milkers might be 

 greatly improved. Crosses, with this object in view, 

 have since been repeated, and, where conducted on 

 correct principles, have rarely failed of benefit. 

 " While on this subject, it is, however, proper to ob- 

 serve, that the excessive quantities of milk obtained 

 from the unimproved Durhams or Short Horns are 

 seldom or never obtained from the improved ; but a 

 moderately good milker of the latter kind will be 

 found to yield as much butter in the week as one of 

 the former, the milk being unquestionably of very 

 superior quality ; and, indeed, it was likely such 

 should be the ease, and that the change in the ani- 

 mal economy which leads to an excessive secretion 

 of flesh should be productive of other rich secre- 

 tions."— British Cattle. 



