THE KILLERBY HERD. 



remainder being left with Mr. John Booth. The Halnaby family 

 was also divided, but the famous Bracelet tribe was all left at Killerby. 

 From this period down to the year 1835, when Mr. R. Booth suc- 

 ceeded to his father's herd at Warlaby, there is comparatively little 

 known of the two herds. The times were unpropitious for the Short- 

 horn. The spirit of improvement which the example of the Ceilings 

 had evoked only partially survived. There was a general depression 

 in all agricultural produce, and consequently but little demand for 

 animals, the purchase of which appeared at that time to partake so 

 much of the nature of a speculation. Not yet did 



1 Generous Britons venerate the plow,' 



or regard with respect bucolic occupations. A man gained more 

 eclat by a display of science and judgment in going across country 

 than in the breeding of cattle. In some districts, a gentleman almost 

 lost caste by devoting himself to such ignoble pursuits, and was sar- 

 castically dubbed, by his companions in the pink, 'cow-scratcher.'* 



"But though 'fallen on evil days,' the stock at Killerby was of 

 high character, and was frequently resorted to by the few good breed- 

 ers of that period for the purchase of animals. It is a house where 

 all comers were, and still are, regaled with the welcome of the olden 

 times. Killerby is one of the pleasantest of the pleasant homes of 

 England. It is a substantial, square, manor-house, picturesquely 

 situated on # gentle eminence to the south of the river Swale, and 

 two miles from Catterick, the site of the once important Roman 

 camp and city of Cataractonium. The house occupies the site of 

 the ancient castle of Killerby, once a stronghold of great magnitude, 

 founded in the reign of Edward the First by Sir Brian Fitzalan, Earl 

 of Arundel. It is approached by a road winding through verdant 

 pastures thrown together into the form of a park, adorned here and 

 there with noble elm and walnut trees. The estate consists of about 

 500 acres of arable and pasture land. The soil, which is very mixed 

 gravel, strong clay, marl, and peat being sometimes found in the sarne 

 field is more adapted for sheep than heavy cattle, though there are 

 two or three excellent pastures. Several of the inferior grass fields 

 have been plowed up of late, and heavy crops of oats and turnips 

 grown in their place, which has allowed the number of sheep kept to 

 be greatly increased. Although half-bred sheep are occasionally seen 



* It will be seen that there were ebbs and flows in the demand for Short-horns in those days, 

 most mistakenly for the interests of the stock breeding public, as there have been since. 

 L. F. A. 



c 



