ROBERT COLLING'S BREEDING. 53 



ROBERT COLLING AND HIS SHORT-HORN BREEDING. 



Although he has been frequently mentioned in the account of his 

 brother Charles, as they often bred their stock through an interchange 

 of bulls, yet Robert had a herd in blood distinctly his own, and bred 

 many cattle as highly distinguished in their merits as were those 

 of Charles. 



Previous to his taking the farm at Barmpton in the year 1783, he 

 lived at Hurworth, a short distance away. When a youth he had 

 been apprenticed to a grocer, but his health declining, he embraced 

 farming. He had often visited Mr. Culley, a noted farmer, stock 

 breeder, and agricultural writer, and took lessons from him in farm- 

 ing, turnip growing, and stock feeding. He had obtained Leicester 

 sheep from Bakewell, and for many years bred and sold them with 

 great success, simultaneous with his pursuit of Short-horn cattle 

 breeding. His annual ram-lettings were extensive and profitable. 



Some of his earliest stock he obtained from Mr. Milbank, of 

 Barningham. They were considered as among the best of the Tees- 

 water cattle, and noted for their excellent grazing properties. He 

 also selected the best cows to be obtained from other breeders, and 

 having the bull Hubback (319), as previously stated, in the year 1783, 

 by which he had seventeen cows served, it may well be supposed 

 that he made a ready and sure start through the best blood and the 

 best animals he could obtain in the foundation of his herd. He 

 bred with skill and judgment, and founded several different families, 

 or tribes of females, as the Wildair, the Red Rose, the Princess, 

 the Bright Eyes, and others, which became in future hands, as well 

 as his own, widely noted as the bases of superior herds. He also 

 bred many noted bulls. Among the earliest of them were " Broken- 

 horn "(95), by Hubback (319), etc.; "Punch" (513) by Broken-horn; 

 Ben (70), and "Twin Brother to Ben" (660), by Punch; "Ceiling's 

 (Robert) white bull" (151), by Favorite (252); "Marske" (418), 

 by Favorite [his dam- and grand dam also by Favorite ; great grand 

 dam by Hubback (319), by Snowdon's bull (612), by Master- 

 man's bull (422), by Harrison's bull (292), by Studley bull (626); 

 Marske was a noted bull, useful thirteen years, and died at fifteen 

 years old] ; "North Star" (459), by Favorite [and full brother to the 

 "White Heifer that Traveled"] ; "Phenomenon" (491), by Favorite; 

 "Styford" (629), by Favorite ; besides many later bulls which were 

 sold, or occasionally used by him, or let for service to other breeders. 



