56 HISTORY OF THE SHORT-HORNS. 



CHAPTER III. 



WERE THE COLLINGS THE EARLIEST AND CHIEF IMPROVERS OP 

 THE SHORT-HORNS? 



IN the discussion of this question a wider range of observation 

 may be necessary than has usually been taken from hearsay, tradi- 

 tion, or even what in some cases has been written by men claiming a 

 personal knowledge of the subject. Assertion is one thing; proof is 

 another thing ; and sometimes widely different, in the settlement of 

 facts. It has long been so commonly reported among those who 

 have never gone into an investigation of the matter, that to the 

 Collings especially Charles was due the great merit of transform- 

 ing the ancient, coarse, ungainly race of Short-horns, which had long 

 existed anterior to their coming upon the stage, into the stately and 

 more highly perfected condition in which they left them, that it may 

 seem, if not an act of audacity, at least a bootless task to combat a 

 belief which has heretofore been so commonly entertained. We 

 shall, however, carefully examine all the facts at command and strive 

 to place the subject in as true a light as possible. 



To the first question: "Were the Collings the earliest improv- 

 ers " of the Short-horn race ? our previous narrative has clearly 

 shown they were not. At the outset of their career as breeders they 

 found the Short-horns, or Teeswaters, a valuable, profitable, and 

 highly approved, as well as established breed, in three or four differ- 

 ent counties of England, where, time immemorial, they had lived and 

 flourished ; and in whatever state of improvement over that of their 

 ancient progenitors they then existed, their improvement was not 

 made by the Collings. Therefore their claims to the early improve- 

 ment may be dismissed without further discussion. 



The next question : " Were they the chief improvers " of the Short- 

 horns of their own day ? If improved at all during their career is 

 now the question to be examined. We have seen that when the 

 Collings commenced business various breeders in their vicinity had 

 excellent cattle. All, or nearly all, the bulls anterior to their time 



