50 



THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. 



BOOK 1, 



must not be forgotten that these qualities, like the qualities of all 

 British breeds, however distinct and however permanent they may be, 

 are the results of the commingling of blood of various kinds. No 

 single breed is pure if we go back for but a few generations. Tt is 

 recorded that, less than 100 years ago, crossing was carried on with 

 Ayrshire, Guernsey, Fife,* Shorthorn, and Galloway cattle. How 

 much of this blood has been maintained in the best animals of the 

 present day is a matter for conjecture. It is true that the well-known 

 attempt of Lord Panmure to introduce a Galloway cross was not 



Photo by 



0. H. Parson* 



Fig. 13. Aberdeen-Angus Bull, " Idelamere." 



Gold Medal bull at the Show of the Royal Agricultural Society, 1907, and 



winner of a first prize at the Show of the Highland Society, 1907. 

 The property of Mr. T. H. Bambridge, Eshott Hall, Northumberland. 



attended with success ; but, on the other hand, there is good reason to 

 believe that the very extensive and successful use of Shorthorn bulls 

 in breeding grazing cattle for the southern markets led to the incoroo- 

 ration of Shorthorn qualities into the breed during the early j'ears of 

 its improvement. At times very distinct Shorthorn characters appear 

 by atavism in polled cattle of good blood and long pedigrees, and dis- 

 appear in the next generation." 



The following details concerning this breed are quoted from Messrs. 



* The Fife horned breed is extinct. They were large black cattle, rather slow at coming 

 to maturity at an early age, but unsurpassed as grazers after they were three years old. 



